Love Lore of the Wind and Sea
by Neptunes Tears
Summary: A Uranian knight is thrown from the sky and with that, her very soul and life. Washed upon the shore of a new watery sea world, an unlikely love is found.Haruka & Michiru pairing AU
1. Winged Warrior

**Disclaimers:**

I do not own Sailor Moon. I don't own Michiru nor :weep: Haruka.

**Authors Notes:**

Hello everyone - This was my first real serious attempt at a chapter story which involves fighting, war, adventure, action and such. I'm best at romantic stuff I think. Anyway I wrote this story back in..oh.. 01? 02?.. its not 04 and I can see I need to go through and edit this story. So think of it as re-released.. Like a VHS movie released on DVD. lol.

Looking back on it now after enough time to view it as a first time reader (as I have forgotten most of what I wrote) I can see where it needs some tweaking. Anyway regardless, I know you all liked it 65 reviews is nothing to sneeze at!!.. Thank you to all the people who read this token from my heart. I don't think I have written anything since as powerful or meaningful. And I am very proud of this story. The hardest thing was beating up on Haruka then, and the hardest thing now will be remembering all the feelings I had when I wrote it. looking back at how idealistic I was. (I am a changed person. but hopefully not forever)

Throughout the story you'll see links after certain parts in the story. That is because I have illustrated certain scenes so feel free to look at them.

Dedicated to the dream which started it all that one day, and the wonderful couple of Haruka And (coverpg)

* * *

**Prologue:**

The waves echoed and churned, crashing around the thrashing Uranian knight who had been swallowed and captured by the rage of the sea. Salt water filled Uranus's mouth and stung her eyes. It was as though she was being pulled down and fought hard to break for the surface again. She struggled with all her might, ripping off all her armor, anything that might help her float up and breath the air her lungs burned for. Coming finally to the surfice came to the surface sputtering and coughing, she was soon dunked under again by another unforgiving wave.

'I can't keep fighting this way for much longer. I'm going to die in this bitter angry sea.'

Her lungs burned, every part of her being screamed for air, but there was no relieve much longer then precious seconds. Her eye lids felt heavy and her vision speckled with colors and distortion, until she could no longer distinguish the surface from the sea floor. It was as if she was suspended in a thick smoldering blanket of icy aquamarine and foamy black velvet. In a way it was almost comforting. Maybe she had been wrong all along. Maybe some sleep would help, if she only just slept. She no longer felt her limbs. Suddenly relaxed, she stopped fighting as if to sleep. Uranus was not going to give the sea the satisfaction of her fear. She had seen death so many times before; it was nothing new for her; even if she was the person dying. She was dying for her cause and lost the battle.

Her last comprehension, as she drifted into unconsciousness, was a pair of warm loving arms wrapping around her waist and upward toward the sky, her home. And away from the cold pitiless grip of death. . .

* * *

Two elements

One wind

And one sea

Meeting for the first time

Their destiny

Freedom is their only wish

For birds can not swim

And fish can not fly

But love like theirs

It shall revolutionize -

And bring two elements as one

The waves need wind as a gentle push and strong embrace

A whispering voice to carry its song

And for the wind. .

The sea to calm

And bring peace to its harsh and motion torn soul

They need each other

Maiden of the depths of the Sea

And the Noble born winged warrior of the Heavens

Do you believe?

In a love so deep

In which two souls,

Live only within each other?

From ballad to song

A long ago legend is foretold:

The lore of wind and sea

And how the two worlds came together

Joining as one forever

.. On That Fateful day ..

* * *

**Chapter 1**

The wind howled and raged high above the horizon, blowing and tearing the thundering clouds, too dry and spent to make rain, into a restless torrent of rage and bitter wickedness. The whole appearance of this world above the clouds was one of deserts now. It was a world which had little vegetation, and hardly any pure water. But it wasn't always this way. Uranus had been abundant with snowy broad mountains, crystal streams, fields of valleys and nothing but an endless stretch of sky, clouds and the refreshing rush of Wind..

But during the long, blood soaked years of war, the land had changed. And its people were torn from treachery, destruction and civil wars. All that could be heard was the clang of blades and metal, the helpless moan of wounded men and battle cries of warriors not yet vanquished. It was once a proud shining land, now torn through ancient disputes caused seeded from greed and power. This fateful battle had been sparked by the execution Uranus's king and from that, the shattering of a once prosperous realm.

The heavens roared and churned in bitterness and blood soaked clouds. The blood of many rested on the King's only Daughter's shoulders: The one and only royal left.

The group of knights held back waiting for the signal from their commander, regardless of the fact that she was female and a born 'Princess'. She was a knight just like they were. Her rulings were just, her causes noble, and they were proud to follow the Kings wishes. Most of the men were older then she was. But they had loyalties to the King, as a friend and as another comrade. And that was deeper then pride or gold.

Gleaming in dark blue armor crested with the golden emblem of Uranus, Haruka reflected all the things she was born to do, brining justice and truth. Born into grace and molded through hardship into a leader and fighter. She was handsomely beautiful with short wind blown wisps of golden blonde hair and brilliant sea gray sky colored eyes; this warrior had been chosen to right the wrong and bring peace to an abandoned cause. She was the Princess of Uranus, entity of the Sky and winds.

Blood stained hilt griped tight, the Warrior of Uranus prepared her self for, hopefully, the last battle that their land would see for decades to come, before there was absolutely no hope left. With a signal, the group of men under her command charged loyally, swords thrashing. They held back the dark knights of her enemy, some of her men had been gifted by her, with some of the magic left of the Sky and they needed it. These dark knights were sent out by a corrupted and powerful war lord. She wasn't aware then, how exactly it would effect not only her world of the Sky, but also if not stopped, all lands known to the gods or humanity; More importantly to her whole being, the realm of the Sea.

She was about to join her men when she saw a previous squire who was only just knighted, cowering behind the remains of the town wall which had protected them momentarily before the attack just outside the village. He was pale and unhurt physically save a busted lip and a nasty gash along his face.

Though he clenched his arms, cradling them as if broken or from fear, he was only yet a boy, the age of ten and six years. He looked to Uranus, his commander, with wild fear crazed eyes. Like one of a cornered animal, snarling in defense.

"Get up!" she hissed angrily and when he didn't she dragged him to his feet.

"How dare you cower in fear, when all around you fellow men and helpless victims are dead or dying?" The young man wrenched out of her grip crying out to the Gods and she hit him hard across the face, letting him stagger back from the force of the hit.

He seemed dazed and looked at her hard, blinking as if waking up. The young knight turned his head hearing a scream of pain and took to the war scene occurring all around him, as if out of the momentary trance. Uranus then left him and ran ahead, hearing the necessity of her blade in their cries and joined her fellow knights once again blocking and swinging.

As long as they held the enemy back from entering the protection of the kingdom walls, then maybe there was some hope. Without the village and market place, the central and strongest part of Uranus, even those most loyal to her father and the crown, would leave or out of bitterness or fear, pledge to the enemy. That's why she fought, to protect them. To protect the people, who had only hope left.

Uranus had just enough time to dodge a blow, when right behind her the blade of a battle ax grazed the muscle of her shoulder blade, breaking one of her wings. The jolt of the impact shocked her momentarily, making her grimace and scream bitterly in rage. Without a moment's hesitation, she turned to give her attacker a savage death. She was aware of her own blood draining in a slow and continuous trickle down her back and shoulder from the wound, staining her armor and tunic, matting the feathers of her reddish gold hued wings, matching the roaring sky. Her wounds contents tainted the golden Uranian crest; A life flow of bright red, mixing with the rust color of old blood. Not to mention, sweat and tears of the men -enemies and allies- which died or prayed around her.

"It's not over yet! I'll be damned if It is!" Due to her unexpected wound, the determined knight dropped her broad sword needing two arms to wield it, and drew her other blade in a motion natural as breathing. She ran through the tangles of bodies, of knights and warriors fighting one on one with each other. She killed anything and everything that got in her way till she found what she was searching for.

"Is this what you wanted? You God damned bastard!? What kingdom is this now? How did starting this war advantage you at all in the end, or did you just start this war to make everyone die, regardless of if you won or not?!"

She lunged for the cloaked man in question who leaped back and into the air, shielded himself in a wall of coppery red flames, like the color of wicked blood. The war lord snickered evilly, as the metal of her blade, gleaming from navy blue light, screeched in response from the tainted magic he used.

"Your father was a fool for a King. A ruler cannot govern its people with justice alone. A king is a symbol of absolute power, a god to those below him, the one factor of their life and death. I saved him a life of blunder and stepped up to a task he could not handle, and did a favor by killing him." Grinning his red eyes gleamed as if by their own fire within, stirring from all the restless souls he captured or killed. Their lives, hardships, blood and tears gave him power.

"How was I to know his backward excuse for a daughter was to take his place. Like a whimpering helpless mutt in a pack of wolves. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, or who you're up against, Wench. You will soon join him in the under world along with this kingdom, where it belongs!"

Her anger soared, mixing with adrenaline and the over powering will to rip apart the object apart before her like nothing else she had ever wanted more in her life. Shattering through the walls of flame with her own magic channeled through her blade, the symbol of her birth glowed strongly on her forehead.

"Come down here, and fight me like a man!"

The two locked in bitter combat. A knight of the winged world of heavens, and the other a war lord of dark magic and the previous adviser and once trusted ally of his victim: Haruka's father.

"Give up?" The Lord asked, after knocking her sword free form her hand, spraining her wrist. The threatened knight watched as the dimming metal slid across the barren earth, stirring up dust and disappearing deftly. Her hopes followed the blade, over the edge and into infinity. She had been backed against nothingness, just the cool wind whipping at her back and making her wound sting, sticky from blood and feathers.

It chilled her to the core, feeling how it led off into nothingness, just endless miles of sky, clouds and atmosphere; and her without working wings, to fly.

Uranus glared at the man, staring into his eyes with bitter revulsion; Jaws clenched and sweat beading against her brow. The loss of blood was one thing, and her faltering strength was another. She knew she didn't have many options left. The war lord grinned darkly believing he had the Uranian creature of the wind captured and cornered. And to gloat, he reached out to touch her cheek, sliding his dirty stained hand in her wind tousled hair. She clenched her hands into tight fists, biting her lip so hard it bled. Mentally, she closed off the world, putting up a shield of inner protection from mind and body, which turned her eyes a bitter cold gray. She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten to her, and she waited for an opening to attack again, ignoring the sluggish feeling of her body, crying for rest. The fact that this evil man had ripped apart the only known world she ever knew and took away everything in her life, gave her a new furiously to fight.

Waiting, a deep growl forming in her throat, Haruka looked off in the distance behind him, staring at something unseen. Part of her was prepared for death, wanting death, but if she left she vowed to take her with him.

She wanted anything but his touch on her skin. He brought his face close to hers, and she could smell the sourness of ale and pure rottenness of his breath. She felt a wave of nausea pour over, sick anyway from her wounds. But his contact was something that made her tremble with fury, she didn't realize how much hatred a being could have for another, except at that moment.

In the corner of her eye she saw a dagger in his belt. And at their close range, it would only take a matter of one specially placed thrust, to end his life forever. Letting him feeling comfortable in his capture, the war lord let his greed overwhelm him. Not only did he want this prize, he would take hers. Letting his lust conquer his better sense, he let his sword drop and held her tightly in place. She winced as his fingers dug into her wounded shoulder limp from uselessness, while the other hand groped for the buckle of his britches.

"Though I might not have full court left to rule over, I think in the end I have won a much greater prize. I'll show you what you've been missing out on all those years you hid from me at the palace when I came to you. Don't think I didn't know your secret. The whole kingdom knew! Hell, even your own father knew. You were a joke, a disgrace, to the castle and even your brother, all those years!"

When she closed her eyes and denied him the satisfaction of seeing the pain in her eyes from his words, he shook her violently forcing her to look at him before continuing. Her icy glare made him smile.

"Don't think your sinful ways were not to go unpunished. Your father was planning for your exile as soon as you returned as a knight with your shield. It would have been a shame though, to let a women with a body like yours go without bedding first. It seems like this is my chance, right before the spirit of your father and the ruins of his disgrace!"

Losing her self control, Uranus grabbed the jeweled hilt dagger she had seen earlier and with a quick swipe, slashed at him wildly before kneeling the man hard in the groin. He swore clutching his wounded flesh with one hand and crumbling slightly to his knees while extending his other arm, magic throwing her back against the rock scattered surface of the barren desert land. She forced herself up to her knees, new nicks and scratches from the rocks, not stinging as bad as her eyes did fighting tears. She felt his magic trying to seep into aura, trying to break her down, he was a lord of manipulation and considered human emotion a tool to use.

"Lies! You speak of nothing but lies, you arrogant bastard!" She yelled angrily enraged, his words had lashed and cut at her heart though she didn't show it.

"I am no mans property! Not to you or to anyone! I would rather slit my throat, than let you have your way with me!"

Crouched over in pain and dripping blood, the warlord collected dark energy using the souls of the dead around him and lifted his hand towards her. Waves of dark red magic poured out in powerful vibrations, the ground began to tremor violently. She clutched the dusty unstable ground with her fingers, trying to keep herself up right and balanced. Like a perched bird, desperately holding on to a breaking limb.

"It's a shame you're tossing your life away. I might have let you live as my lady. We could have ruled the new realm together."

The ground behind her began to crumble away quickly behind her, falling into the seemingly never ending sky.

"But unfortunately for you, it's too late for that!" Uranus gasped as the earth trembled dangerously under her and fell suddenly back as the ground crumbled and gave way. The once chosen warrior and crowned heir of the heavens plummeted down ward, into the unknown and out of the realm of the sky.

Seemingly forever...


	2. Sea Maiden

**Chapter 2**

Lost in its world of shadow, of blues, greens, silvers and teals, there lays a realm known to few except by the legends of sailors. A watery world where the light that filters through the surf plays tricks on the eyes and where many souls last laid their head in eternal sleep. Below the surf you can still hear their last whispers again in the background of the continuous churning of the waves above. It is a chaotic dance hidden from human eyes that could make a person go mad in the sheer insanity of it. Among the skeletal remains of ships and vessels over taken by underwater plant life, it was mere glimmers of what once was. Everything seemed to hold its breath below this glassy sheet of marine, oblivious of the slow crawling tick of time.

An elegant creature swam slowly through this thick world. On the contrary, this creature brought with it all the beauty that the sea possessed. It represented the lore of the sea that attracts all to it. Intentionally or not, this magnificent creature was the reason for the tales and lore's above the water. It was as an illusion, reflecting the gentleness of the slight waves of the coral beaches. It was the source of the musical laughter and promising lovely whispers that haunt you while you gaze at night to the waves with silver moonlight hazed eyes. It is the pull of the waves around your ankles when you stand just a little bit closer to see better what calls to you and how the water and sand tugs in-between your feet and you stumble forward powerless. How if you're not careful you can get swept away by the surf if you let it carry you away... If you let it love you.

The melodic sound of pebbles and small shells pushed gently along the coral and sea floor sounded like a bubbling brook. It was one of the only pleasant sounds left besides the songs of the whales at night, or the laughter of the dolphins. But regardless the ever present imprisoning roar of the sea was still loudest. As the magnificent creature listened, passing under a ray of diluted sunlight, a series of teal sliver tinted scales glittered like cut glass for just a moment before dimming in the shadows again.

The creature flicked its tail pushing forward faster as it picked up speed, senses alive and the atmosphere of the watery world changed for favor of blood.

"Not another.. Why must Father take more lives?!"

The youngest and beautiful sole surviving heir of Neptune swam under an opening of coral rocks and above a patch of sea plants, as fast as she could. The sea was roaring in her ears, enraged by the intrusion up ahead. Apprehension coursed through her veins. The blood that beat through her heart, was connected to the sea like others generations before. Just as the salty waters were her tears. Her teal hair was like the surf itself, falling down her back and across her breasts in soft waves.

Some of the sea life took notice of Neptune's fast course and followed calling excitedly to each other. A patch of dolphins soared along her side, swimming ahead to see. Suddenly she stopped, the water rushing around her form in swirls. She was transfixed at the surface of the water, breath held. Above the thin layer of the rippling glass like surface, there were colors of all kinds. Through the water and sea mist she could see glimpses of the sky, something she never saw before. It was the color of blood, as if the atmosphere was ripped apart. Thunder boomed and echoed slightly, muted by the water. It sounded like muted explosions, something she was told about that happened in the human world. She scanned the water looking for the shadow of a ship; looking for the heat and unnatural orange glow of fire above the surface and the rumbling explosion it caused as it went down, pulled by the waves. But there was none, this puzzled her.

"Let me not be too late..." She whispered tears pricking her eyes and slowly swam on.

* * *

The waves echoed and churned, crashing around the thrashing Uranian knight who had been swallowed and captured by the rage of the sea. Salt water filled Uranus's mouth and stung her eyes. It was as though she was being pulled down and fought hard to break for the surface again. She struggled with all her might, ripping off all her armor, anything that might help her float up and breath the air her lungs burned finally to the surface came to the surface sputtering and coughing, she was soon dunked under again by another unforgiving wave.

'I can't keep fighting this way for much longer. I'm going to die in this bitter angry sea.'

Her lungs burned, every part of her being screamed for air, but there was no relieve much longer then precious seconds. Her eye lids felt heavy and her vision speckled with colors and distortion, until she could no longer distinguish the surface from the sea floor. It was as if she was suspended in a thick smoldering blanket of icy aquamarine and foamy black velvet. In a way it was almost comforting. Maybe she had been wrong all along. If only she slept, if she just slept it all away.

She no longer felt her limbs. Suddenly relaxed, she stopped fighting as if to sleep. Uranus was not going to give the sea the satisfaction of her fear. She had seen death so many times before; it was nothing new for her; even if she was the person dying. She was dying for her cause and lost the battle.

* * *

As Neptune swam onward she continued to look around for any signs of thrashing bodies or figures clinging to ship wreckage. She scanned the water with adapted ocean colored eyes that could adjust to the darkened changing shadows. Finally she saw what had begun to attract the sharks, seeing sight of one sinking figure and cursed she dodged sinking pieces of metal as she made her way to the human. It was called Armor, she absentmindedly thought as she saw a breast plate fall beside her. Despite her fear of this new creature, as she had never seen a human this close before, she swam on and reached out wrapping her arms about its waist and began tugging upward towards the surface. It was then she noticed their wings and gasped.

'This is no human... what is another entity doing here? "

She reached the surface and tugged onward, glancing worriedly at the one in her arms, a tinge of blue on their lips. Death lingered dangerously near. A cold shiver crept along the mermaid's skin as she thought of the unspoken.

'What if I'm too late...?'

She struggled, thankfully the water provided some relieve from carrying and pulling along the extra weight of the unconscious entity.

The two bobbed along as the mermaid paddled with her free arm towards a large flat rock in the gentler part of the oceans surf. It was a warm sun lit cove that reached out and flattened above the waters surface, surrounded by vegetation and puddles of fresh water provided from the rain. It had a smooth surface easy for her to climb up on to. The hard part was pulling her burden up also. She lay back exhausted after managing to pull the sopping figure beside her and rolled it onto its back, careful of its beautiful wings.

Propped up on her arms, Neptune gasped when she finally got a better inspection of the winged entity. She titled their head to the side curiously and pushed golden wet bangs out of its eyes, touching their face admiringly. She let her hand trail along the cool cheek till she stopped, feeling a faint pulse. She froze seeing speckles of dried and fresh blood on its clothes and looked finally at the gapping wound on their shoulder.

From her past experience with humans she guessed that this one was a warrior of some kind, remembering the armor. But she did not see that type of metal before, nor the crest on the dark blue tunic. From its handsome face and boyish style clothes, she assumed it was a young man. She could tell he was wounded and the blue tinge on its skin and lips told her she had to do something right away.

With numbed and trembling fingers she pulled at and examined the worn garments. Desperately she tried to figure out how to undo the layers of material in order to lessen the pressure on the chest so that they could breathe better. Not having much experience with human clothes to begin with, the sea maiden sighed in irritation and searched for a cutting tool of some sort and found an empty sheath. From experience she trailed her hand along his leg and found a small dagger hidden in a sheath in his boot. Carefully, she cut away at the layers of soaked tangled material till she reached a layer of binding along the chest. Curiously Neptune began unraveling the layers of bandages until she could tug it away and gasped a bit.

"A woman... Since when were human women forced to wear men's clothes and had to bind their chest?" She wondered what other kinds of rules human had for their females and was thankful she could go with none. Tilting the woman knight's head up, Neptune reached over and grabbed a bit of a plant growing nearby and waved it under her nose. Almost at once the knight stirred and rolled onto her side weakly with the mermaids help, coughing up mouthfuls of sea water and gasping in air. She was too worn out and tired to notice however the pair of curiously fearful yet concerned ocean colored eyes watching her, as she was laid down again weakly. With a groan the warrior slipped off into a dream like state again, the world shifting before her eyes, of blue and green.


	3. The Awakening

**Chapter 3:**

A soft breeze wafted slowly down through the parted clouds to meet and brush across the waves tentatively, this was only the beginning.

The sea-maiden watched over the handsome woman as the hours passed, with care and gentleness. She fed her what little she took -mostly fresh water- and changed her bandages for clean dry ones regularly. It was a hard task considering there was not a dry spot on the whole island besides the cove. So the mermaid used the warriors own tunic and material when needed knowing not what else to do.

On the second day, Neptune had been wiping a cool rag across the wind warrior's brow seeing her patient had a slight fever. She had sustained pretty concerning wounds, Neptune saw that almost at once. A blow to the shoulder damaged the left wing, making her unable to fly and left a nasty gash on her shoulder which she knew would then leave a scar, a large painful looking bruise on her side, scratches, scrapes and a busted lip were the least of worries.

"Who did this to you, my winged warrior?" Neptune whispered cradling their head on her lap while smoothing golden colored wisps of hair from her eyes gently, stroking her cheeks. "I will mend your wounds and help you to fly again..."

* * *

A young boyish featured girl practically ran to keep up with her older brother Coeus, who strode ahead with strong legs, a bold torso and gleamed from head to toe in polished Uranian armor.

"Please, Coeus! Let me go with you!" She pleaded with him, fighting with the stubborn skirts she was always forced to wear by social standards, keeping up at his pace. The noble born Uranian knight stopped and turned slightly as he looked down into the strong already determined face of his nine year old sister, meeting her unwavering sky blue eyes.

"Haruka..." He was the only one in her life who considered her family and not just the first-born female to carry on the royal name as an heir. There for he called her by her first name ever since she could remember.

"I can help you fight!"

Coeus sighed shaking his head, and knelt meeting her eye level. His cobalt colored eyes gazed into hers as he put a hand to her shoulder.

"I am a trained knight and there for must fight to protect this realm and its people. You must stay here and live to carry on the royal blood and the name of Uranus."

Uranus looked away in anger, knowing in her heart that she was just a pawn in the royal game, and a prize to a lucky noble prince in the future to bear many children. She was a woman, and therefore trained only for such purposes. Her brother, after countless pleas and naggings, had taught her since age seven the basics of sword play and combat and she soaked up all she could and excelled greatly by leaps and bounds.

"Will you return?" She now asked, looking to him once again. Her eyes held wisdom much older for her age, and she used them to request that he not lie out of saving her the pain of the truth and to not give the sugar coated truths young people normally received.

He took a deep breath and stood, looking to the rocky soiled earth of their home planet before looking to her again.

"I know not, but if I have to I will die in my cause and for what's right. I will protect this kingdom till my very last breath leaves my body."

Uranus looked up to her brother with admiring, loving eyes that glazed over with tears she would never allow herself to cry again.

"Are you afraid?" She asked then.

"Yes, and I am not shamed for saying so. Everyone is afraid sometimes, but the ones that survive have to be strong. You have to be strong... she will have to be strong."

Uranus swallowed the lump that had started to form in her throat and nodded knowing who 'she' was. Coeus's lover, a shy and gentle maiden from the village who was banded by the King of Uranus to be wed her brother because she was not of proper leverage or royalty of any kind.

He took a step back and began to walk away before turning to her again.

"Haruka, will you do your older brother a favor then?" She quickly nodded and he tossed her a dark blue leather pouch.

"Give that to her, should I not return..."

The young girl nodded solemnly and Coeus smiled warmly to her.

"Though I never could truly understand you Haruka, you are the only person in that damned castle who I can say I could relate with. And I love you."

And with that the young knight of ten and eight years ran off sword drawn, and disappeared into the portal that took him to the war scene outside of the magical walls that protected the village and the kingdom.

Some odd weeks and days later, Uranus looked to her distraught father as he clutched what objects they found at the battle scene. She had listened to the news that the king's messenger brought with an unreadable expression, save the cold bitter tears that fell slowly down her cheeks. She then vowed that she would never cry again. Nor would she allow to hear the words, 'I love you' from another person again. No one could come close to her heart now. The only living soul in her existence, who loved her as a person, was killed in battle.

Coeus's sheathed blade had lain at the king's feet along with some odd pieces of armor. He did not notice as Uranus bent to pick it up, nor did her father bother to turn his distant gaze from the castle's window as she ran to the village square, clutching an worn leather pouch.

The love torn, anguish screams of the sobbing woman Uranus had fled to, forever haunted her dreams that day forward. She forever carried the scar of that horrible responsibility which she pushed to the back of her mind and kept there.

It was all a fever brought memory...

* * *

When the fallen winged entity officially came to again, she groaned and wished she had not. Her body ached in protest of misuse and unwanted beatings, even though she was a trained knight. Her open wounds stun from the salt water. The worst of which, she noticed was bandaged, and there was a cool thick type of balm spread on it.

Tentatively Uranus licked her mouth, and tasted the remains of salt water and a busted lip, which was starting to scab over. She tried to sit up and the world spun. She clutched her head and laid back down on the hard surface of the rock, swearing like the knight that she was trained to be as a page.

Where was she? What happened?

She kept her eyes closed not really wanting to know.

"Am I dead then?"

She whispered aloud not really expecting an answer. Her throat was hoarse from the salt water and the trial her voice went through the past days. No, she could not be dead. She felt pain, hunger, all of them physical. And emotions, like a thick cloud, slowly swept over her, chilling her. Among which she felt anger, rage, betrayal, maybe even a bit of loneliness but she pushed that thought away quickly.

"Well I've been cast out of Heaven, so I must be in Hell..."

She would have laughed at the sheer irony that this was, if it did not hurt so damn much.

'Broken ribs...' she thought imaging the dark bruise forming on her side and how it hurt a little to inhale.

It was then Uranus's memory came back in a full rush. This time she made herself sit up. Slowly, she stood and risked a glance around.

Nothing was there, just miles and miles of aqua churning. All of it dreadful, deep watered sea, all around. It surrounded her at all sides, making her breath catch in her chest and she felt a bit dizzy.

A thick fog clouded the atmosphere making all the shapes and colors pastel and soft, shifting in the sunlight like an impressionist painting. Shifting colors from light that managed to filter through. Looking up, she could not even see the world from which she fell.

'This isn't right. I'm a creature of the sky, of the Heavens. What am I doing here? I have to get back and kill the bastard who did this to me... I will avenge my father's death and take back what rightfully belongs in our name...'

She tried to see what other damage was done and tried to move her wings. At once, she drew in a sharp shallow breath through clenched teeth and paled a little from the pain of it.

"Don't, Please."

A soft urgent voice requested from whence it came. Instinctively, Uranus reached for her sword and found it was missing. Remembering the fall, she swore again and reached for her dagger with no avail. She was injured, weaponless, and in a foreign land. Her senses were on full alert and she ignored the pain and braced herself, not taking any chances...


	4. The first exchange

**Chapter 4**

Uranus scanned the area warily and rubbed her eyes frowning. The colors and shapes of this watery world shifted so much that she couldn't focus on one thing at a time. Straining made it worse, her eyes hurt from the effort. She shouted out again to the last place she heard the voice, discovering later it was near by and moving in location.

"Who's there? I warn you I am a trained knight and..."

"And are as wounded and as helpless as a new borne babe." The soft voice replied, a smile in their voice.

The knight smirked and relaxed a fraction telling from the voice it was a woman. Never the less she knew that women could be just as dangerous, self experience told her that. Yet this voice was soft, soothing and brought warmth and comfort. That scared her more then anything else. It had to be some sort or witchcraft or magic cast on her.

"Then you must be a sprit to come and haunt my wretched soul. Go back from whence you came. I need no company and would as soon be on my way."

"I've been taking care of you, 'sir' knight. The least you could do is to show some appreciation." There was a small splash and a surfacing sound closer to where Uranus was standing. The knight women backed farther away from the sound and tried again to see through the shifting mists.

"Where am I spirit? Show your self, I hate guessing games."

There was a slight pause. The only sound was the churning waves and the gentle slaps of water against the cove and a soft sigh. Finally the voice whispered again from the mist.

"Not yet my brave one, you are not yet healed. You must stay here until you're able to fly again. Please relax and lay back down. I won't hurt you."

Against her will Uranus slowly sunk to her knees before half laying she felt tried again and was hungry and wondered if this person was going to give her something to eat. She scowled herself continuously to fight these thoughts and get away from this enchantment, but she had no where else to go and was helpless in a sense. That was more troubling to Uranus in its self. She couldn't remember ever being helpless and at someone's mercy since she was young. She quickly made up for her weakness by saying it was only temporary till she figured out where and who this person was. It was better to pretend to be a friend, then to make a potential enemy in her condition.

All these thoughts swirled in her head and she sighed shaking them away. That voice was talking to her again.

"What?"

"I said, are you hungry?" That soft voice had asked. It was right next to her yet shifted also like she was part of the mist and this blue green sliver hued canvas. Uranus gave up trying to see and just nodded a little, grumpily.

"I'd rather starve then take anything from you, though." She remarked venomously. That was met by a pinch on the arm like a mother correcting a troublesome child. The knight made a surprised noise and glared at the shifting form of the voice.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?"

The knight looked away with hardened expression.

"My mother died in child birth as I was borne. I never knew her."

The last words caught in her throat as she said them. She never bothered to tell anyone that. What made her want to now, and to this total stranger?

"Oh, I am sorry… That must have been hard for you."

The voice answered in response quietly, truly sorry, and farther away this time, slowly fading. Uranus looked over and saw a collection of various things to eat and her own flask filled with fresh water beside her where the shifting illusion sat earlier.

"You never told me who you were..."

Uranus called out again getting nothing in response but the waves churning and a hint of the wind blowing high above her. She sighed and reluctantly began to eat. Her body's needs were stronger then her fear and possibly her common sense.


	5. The sadden song of the sea

**Chapter 5:**

Days continued to pass, and with each moment the sea seemed to sigh and churn with slight melancholy. The entity of the sea half heartedly swam and drifted back down to the depths of the ocean floor alone, after checking on the winged woman and with a new realization to ponder over. She felt as though she might cry from the agony that had begun to form in her heart, only mermaids have no tears, therefore suffer more.

"I can not!" She cried aloud and threw herself onto the oceans floor, her head in her arms.

"I can not let myself love 

She had lain among the ruins of her kingdom watching the ripples of the surface reflect against the sand. Memories came back to her in bits and pieces like the shards of glittering amber colored gemstone scattered around her that still shone, mixed with the fine sand of the sea floor.

She remembered that fateful moment in time when nothing else mattered to her and how her heart beat raced as she caught sight of that knight. How she felt such energy when she touched her. How her soul seemed to stir even though the venom in the warriors words stung her. Past that cold exterior was a wounded soul, a weeping heart. That knight, whoever she was, needed mending.

When at first the explorers and humans came to her world, she was curiously happy. She thought she would have someone to love and stay with her forever. She then remembered that human beings could not live in the water, so that when they got down to her father's palace they would no longer be alive. Something in her still wanted to believe that this person could stay with her forever and could live with her, bring light to the world of shadows that had begun to consume her soul.

In the past, women of her kind would entwine their arms and rise to the surface after catching sight of the slow shadow of a vessel. They had the most beautiful voices then any other creature. And before a storm, when they expected a ship to be lost to the angry surf, they would sing to the sailors all the delights of the sea and told them not to be fearful if they were to sink to the bottom. But the sailors could not understand their warning or sweet song and thought it was noise of the approaching storm or the howling of anguished spirits who met their fate there. It would never be beautiful to them because they couldn't understand the songs and if they were to sink, their bodies alone would reach the palace of the sea king.

So she knew she couldn't let that creature die. She fought with all her might to make sure her brave one wouldn't be harmed again, even willing to put herself at risk, but why? She knew the tales told to her when she was little. Only once had she heard of such things as destiny, love, and eternity.

* * *

A long time ago, in the deepest part of the sea surrounded by a whirl pool of enchantment and prosperity stood the castle of the Neptunian Sea King, Triton. Its walls had been built of the finest and strongest coral known and were speckled with the most intricate gothic windows made of the clearest amber found on the sea floor. The roof was formed of an assortment of shells that reflected the glimmer of the water above and gave off changing colors, like light to a prism.

The Sea King and queen were always too busy arranging social gatherings and negotiating treaties to pay attention to their heirs. There were many children borne of the Neptunian line, but the most important were the princesses of Neptune who were to carry on the title and kingdom one day. Usually, the first born female was the heir of the planet but in this case there were two. The oldest and most rebellious and irresponsible in the royal's eyes was named Larissa. She had been the first born but surprisingly she had not been the one chosen to carry on the name of the planet. The next to the youngest was named Michiru, and their mother's favorite. From birth she had the rank and appearance of a princess. With perfect wavy hair and captivatingly deep aqua marine eyes that could lore anyone with just one glance and you could never just look once.

Still, law was law and Larissa took Michiru's place as heir until she was old enough to rule or if an emergency arose , for she was only nine then and Larissa was of ten and six years.

For company, the young princess would spend time with the King's aged mother who helped to keep the castle for him and his Queen. She was very wise and compassionate, never letting high rank and nobility affect her outlook on life in anyway. Ever since Michiru could remember, her grandmother would always be willing to hear out her dreams and hopes, no matter how childish and useless they seemed.

It was one after noon in particular that Neptune never forgot. She could still picture everything so clear in her mind, and hear the words that were spoken.

Since she was little she heard tales of the world above the water, past the constant blue and pastels that sheltered her world. There was so much that she wanted to know and learn about beyond what was over the castle walls. As a princess she didn't have much freedom to explore as much as she had wanted and since her kingdom was under a temporary lock down from the rumors of the king's advisories of attack, she was pretty much confined till the danger left.

When she had enough courage she tried to ask her parents but they just told her it was better not to get evolved with humans or air breathers because they were dangerous. She tried her other siblings, save Larissa who was hardly around and they just laughed. Finally she took all of her unanswered questions to her grandmother, who knew all about the upper world, which she referred as the lands above the sea.

"Grand Mother?" Neptune began tentatively, once they were seated in the courtyard among the flowers that shifted slowly in the current. "Is there other worlds out there like ours?" The older mermaid nodded looking up towards the surface of the water as she talked.

"Yes, there are many different worlds beyond the sea that even in all my years, have never been told about. Creatures that walk on the land and who don't need fins to move but have what they call legs, they are air breathers."

"Like humans?" she then asked curiously.

"Yes, but there are many kinds of humans; some are entities like us, the living children of their element. Then there are mortals who are like the others only ordinary, magic less, and are easily fearful of things they do not understand. They are greedy and power hungry and destroy anything in their path." Neptune looked wide eyed as she listened never imagining such things existed.

"Now, don't get me wrong. Not all humans are evil, such as not all entities and immortals are good. But it only takes one powerful being to cause great damage, perhaps even permanent damage."

"Like the start of the mortal wars going on outside our world?" The young mermaid asked quickly. "Sometimes at night the sea floor rumbles..."

"That's their power, and with every passing moment it draws nearer to our existence but the sea protects us from harm for now."

"I feel sorry for them. They live in such an ignorant world." The ocean haired mermaid remarked touching one of the flowers that swayed gently in the current.

"Don't feel too badly for them. It is true there is lots of corruption in their world but they have things we will never experience or know. We sometimes live three hundred years here in the sea, but their life spans are shorter then ours. Unlike us they have immortal souls that live on, and so they live again. They know glorious things we will never see, some of which like destiny and true love. When we die we turn into the foam on the surface of the sea water. Only the chosen Immortals of our world live seemingly forever."

And when the young girl looked saddened, she patted her hand reassuringly. "But you must not think of that," said the old woman; "we feel ourselves to be much happier and much better off than human beings."

"So I will live without ever knowing true love," the heir of Neptune said softly, "and I will never have soul mate and live with them forever because only ones like us survive here?"

"Not necessarily," said the wise merwoman, "There is one way..."

"Tell me, please." The young girl asked with maturity beyond her age. The merwoman sighed a little and nodded remembering and after a moment she began to tell the lore.

"Unless someone was to love you so much, that you were more important to that person than anybody or anything in the world. And that they loved you more then life or death, and if all their thoughts and all their energy was fixed on only you, if they promised to be true to you here and beyond that, then their being would become one with yours and you would attain a share in the future happiness of mankind. They would give part of their soul to you and retain their own as well; but I'm afraid that it's something that I've only been told as part of myth." She gestured to the water as if it was nothing more then the bubbles in the water, but seeing the urgent look in her grand daughter's eyes, she inhaled deeply, continuing.

"In order for a bonding to take place you need the right spell and ancient treasures, of which I only know of one piece existing in our world. Another thing is our fish's tail, which among us is considered so beautiful, its thought of on earth and to humans to be ugly and terrifying; they do not know any better, and they think it's necessary to have what they call legs, in order to be normal and beautiful." Neptune sighed, and looked sorrowfully at her fish's tail wishing there was someway to meet other entities like her from other worlds. They would know of the pains of their power and duty also. "But let us not think of such things now and be happy," said the wise mermaid said helping her grand daughter up with her hand. "And dart and swim about during the three hundred years that we have to live, which is quite long; after that we can rest ourselves and be one with the sea, all the same. For this evening we are going to have a court ball."

"Oh Grandmother, another one?" The young heiress asked a little and obediently followed her guardian into the castle, leaving such troubling thoughts for later when she could think alone.

The ball room was by far one of the most beautiful rooms in the palace. The walls and the ceiling were of thick but transparent crystal. Collections of beautiful vast shells, some colored like the pale pastels of the surface, others of bright earthen shades only seen in other worlds, were decorated through out the room with the most gorgeous and exotic flowers the kingdom had to offer. They grown within them and spilt out delicately onto the floor.

For light, there was a mighty chandelier in the center of the ceiling made of crystal. Coral branches attached against the wall baring small flames of blue fire, lighting the whole area, and shone through each of the walls so that the sea was also illuminated. Fishes who swam slowly back and forth glittered as their scales picked up the light, glowing with purple brilliance and others like silver and gold.

Neptune sighed a little. She was decorated in her own royal best and looked around among the guests used to parties, and slipped back and away from the crowd so she had a better look. They were all the same to her and it grew boring after awhile. Some movement separate from the dancing caught her attention and she looked seeing her oldest sister Larissa slip out of the ballroom and into the shadow of the great hall.

"Mother and father won't be pleased when they find that out..." she muttered under her breath and glanced around seeing if anyone was watching. After a moment she worked her way around the people unnoticed, and followed her sister. Warily, so she wouldn't be caught, the young girl swam quietly up to the doorway of her fathers war room used as a discussion chamber, confused. It was a room they were forbidden to go into and had many large glowing crystals representing every elemental based world. You could communicate to other kingdoms through it, but it was only used in emergencies, and by the king. 'Why would she be in here?' she thought, and her eyes grew wide at what she saw and heard.

"When can I see you again?" There was a pause. "I know but I found a way to get to you... I found someone who could help me. I can use my family's magic and leave here..."

Neptune's eyes grew wide and she burst into the room.

"Larissa no, you'll die out there!" Neptune said panicked and swam farther into the room, confronting her sister who paled and turned so that her back was towards the dark blue crystal representing the planet of the heavens and wind.

"Michiru!" The crystal dimmed as she stopped touching it and the link she was using faded. "Please don't tell our parents about this, I know what I'm doing." The younger mermaid shook her head tears forming in her eyes.

"No you can't, there's no way. You'll die above the water..." Larissa put her hand to her lips silencing her.

"No, Michiru, I found a way to become human. I'll walk just like 'they' do, I'll breath air. I'll be with him now..." The younger girl wrapped her arms around her older sister's waist shivering from tearless sobbing.

"Become an air breather... All over some silly human!? Give up your kingdom and your title and risk your life, just for some stupid boy?!" She sniffled whispering. "I'll never see you again 'issa." The pretty older heir of Neptune gently tugged her sister back. She smiled, hearing her use the old name Michiru used to call her when she was just a small merchild and couldn't say it right. She brushed her fingers against the younger mermaid's forehead and the Neptunian symbol glowed softy.

"You'll understand someday when you fall in love... True love, Michiru, can you imagine it?" The young girl let go and looked to her sadly.

"But how?" She asked her eyes glassy.

"With this..." Larissa touched a small swirling orb hanging about her neck that contained a wicked colored light, like the color of blood. "Father's mage gave it to me; he said he would help me..." Neptune gasped and reached out trying to take it from her neck, she failed.

"Larissa, that man is evil! I sense something wicked in him. You shouldn't trust him." The older mermaid frowned protecting the crystal, well out of Neptune's reach now.

"Don't be silly, Michiru. I told you I know what I'm doing; you're just a child and wouldn't understand…" She frowned a little seeing the look of hurt on her sisters face and hesitated only slightly. The orb glowed and she touched it shaking her head.

"I'm wasting time now. I have to leave before it's too late..." Larissa took out a small seemingly ordinary metal box resembling a treasure chest and handed it her quickly.

"What..." Michiru began but was cut off by her sister's next words as she was taking off the charm from around her neck. "Hold it for me till I come for it again, keep it safe. Let no one harm it or its contents..." She raised her hand above her head holding the glowing orb. "Trust me, everything will be fine. You'll always be my sister and I love you. Remember what I told you, my 'ichi Doll." The young mermaid nodded, biting her lip and clutching the box as Larissa threw the crystal down unto the hard marble floor. As it is shattered, blood colored smoke rose around her older form and there was a bright light. Neptune saw through the thick swirling smoke her sister's tail change into two and then her sister was gone as it disappeared, a portal closed where she stood. The young girl sank to the floor her head in her hands and sobbed tearlessly, for all things lost.

Since Larissa gave up her link to the sea forever, it made Michiru the official heir. And not soon after, Neptune's forewarning was right. Being an immortal and entity of the sea, it protected her from the evil wraith of her father's enemies. She could do nothing while her kingdom was destroyed. And just like her grandmother said, she would live seemingly forever…

* * *

Neptune sat up brushing away the hair which fell across her face from her eyes and glanced around with the same sorrow she had then. She was trapped in her memories and in her past alone and captive to the sea forever. The mighty waves crashed above her all around and she breathed with each wake. In her hand which she clutched to her heart was a small treasure chest, unharmed after all this time...

"So you see my dear one," she began sadly running her hand through the sands of her fallen kingdom with faraway eyes. "I can't love you because my heart is captive to the sea. I am a cursed creature within a cursed 

Neptune looked up watching the shadows move across the water as night time fell and saw the beginnings of milky blotches which were the stars; begin to appear in the sky and sighed.


	6. The end of the begining Part 1

**Chapter 6: Part 1: "The end of the Beginning."**

Early the next morning, as the first diluted ray of sunlight filtered through the slow swaying willow and vanilla trees and lit up the pastel world of Neptune, a slightly agitated knight sat on a large rock where she had been idle for days now before. Any other former princess would be miserable sleeping on such a hard and desolate surface and a place which didn't have a dry spot on the whole island but it didn't bother the Uranian woman much. She never cared for the fluff and ruffle of being a princess truthfully. In her training to become a knight she had been taught to survive under such conditions. Still, a small part of her longed for the warm bed she had as a child at the palace.

At a distance the winged warrior looked like a distressed bird trying to groom its self. Constantly she ran her fingers through her wings cleaning out the crystallized chunks of salt that had formed. She winced a little when in her distant concentration she pulled out a small feather matted from the sea water. When she was at last satisfied she shook out her wings, starting with the left wing and then the right. Each time sending a gust of air and scattering a few sky colored feathers. She had gingerly moved her wounded wing a little at a time, building up force till she was sure it was okay to move. It had healed nicely for the most part, wounds usually didn't take long to heal because of her power and in a few days she would be able to leave this forsaken place.

She knelt by one of the small rain water filled pools in the rock and drank a few handfuls of the cool clean liquid before splashing her face and running scoops of it through her short hair causing it to stick up at odd angles. While she bathed she thought again of the troubling thoughts that had begun to trickle through the cracks of her awareness, like the water that ran trails along her golden skin and that which had also kept her up most of the night before. It was this place, she always concluded. It makes one loose all track of time and clouds thoughts. The sea air must be making her delirious, making her soft inside.

She didn't want to believe that it was that voice also that had begun to make her thoughts waver and her pulse quicken. That soft, warm, comforting voice, that's spirit tried so desperately to get out of its netting of sorrow and heart ache that dwelled there.

The truth was, Uranus didn't really want to leave. There was something she felt when she was within that presence that made her feel something she never felt before, something she never knew but what her soul longed for. That which scared her more then any battle, and something that slowly broke down and crumbled chunks away from the walls she so carefully built to keep everything out. She gritted her teeth and stood stretching her neglected muscles that missed their routine run she always took every morning in the past at her kingdom. Her mind lingered in memories for a moment before a splash of water sounded nearby and made her jump a bit, she sighed grumpily knowing what it was. It was the cause of the growing conflict within her self.

"Good morning," The soft maidenly voice greeted warmly. "How are you feeling?"

"I've felt worse, so I can't really complain." The winged woman admitted trying to see the source of the voice through the early morning mist that made the air thick and dreamy. "Within a day or two I should be able to leave, just so you know."

There was a pause and Uranus thought perhaps the voice had left but it finally answered.

"Leave?" It asked softly before continuing. "But I'm not through with you yet, you still have wounds that need tended and-"

"And what wounds might those be? I'm fine. My wings and my shoulder are healed and within days I will be back to health and on my way, I really have no time left to waste here." The warrior interrupted, slightly outraged that this 'spirit' would try and contain her. Being stubborn and brash were the only ways to block out the annoyingly nagging feeling of guilt for leaving, which was utterly ridiculous and must have been caused by the luring spell of this world and that presence again.

"Don't be so foolish." It responded quietly trying to keep the hurt from showing in her voice. "The wounds I speak of are inside you. I know this because I bleed from them as well. You aren't fine, are you?"

Uranus's blinked and looked out at the water scowling, defensively adding another layer of cement to her eternal walls and crossed her arms.

"Like you'd know; you don't know anything about me, or what I'm feeling. And you couldn't be more wrong."

"Fine, suit yourself. But how far would you get without a sword, I wonder". Her voice responded coolly, and with a knowing tone. "Who ever heard of a knight in their under garments anyway, a lady knight much else?"

Uranus bristled a bit and smirked looking down at the remains of her under shirt, noticing the bondage she used to keep her chest in place and hidden was gone and it was quite apparent she was a woman.

"You knew all along then?" The knight asked with a slight blush.

"You needed air, and the pressure that bondage added to your chest didn't help much. I had to remove it..." There was something about the way she said the last part that made Uranus blush more.

"I see." The lady knight remarked quickly, noticing with a slight sigh of relieve her dark blue tunic -however rumpled, sea and weather beaten it might be- folded awkwardly next to her. It looked like it was cut or ripped previously but had been painstakingly sewn back together. A small smile crept over her face but it was hidden as the winged knight pulled the mistreated garment unceremoniously over her head, ruffling her short hair more and making it stick up in odd angles. That had succeeded a small giggle from the maidenly voice and strangely made Uranus pleased that she was pleased.

"Well, do you think I could at least have my weaponry back; sword, dagger, armor if possible?" She frowned a bit regarded her clothing. "I'll have to pick some up clothes along the way some how; I doubt you know of any shops around here?" She kidded mostly to herself after noticing the cove was quiet again and the presence gone. She didn't have to wait long when another splash sounded and there was a small grunt from the maiden as she carried all sorts of armor and laid it on the rock, then swords through the water by their hilt, not knowing which was the knight's and had plenty of it from past ship wreaks. The mist had hid most of the sea maiden though, so all the other saw was the glint of the metal and the noise it made. It brought the swords dripping from the water and laid the tips on the rock then went to drop the hilts; it was a slow type of process since the blades were so heavy and foreign to its hands.

Uranus waited for the right moment scarcely breathing, she had to know the truth. In an instant, She reached out quickly and grabbed one of the soft smooth hands which lingered a moment to long. The swords dropped their short distance with a rude clang of metal. The knight held their wrist gently yet determined to find out who or what it was hiding behind the mists and looked upon the creature for the first time. Neptune gasped started and tried to pull away, desperately she met the eyes of her capture sadly and a bit fearfully. Uranus blinked and let her grip loosen and released her as she heard its voice in her mind pleading.

'Don't look at me.'

"Who are you?..."

'Don't. Please!'

"You're a..."

* * *

The waves churned in the distance as if trapped with no way out making the surface look uneasy and dangerous. A slight breeze glided through like a distant friend trying a bit more then usual to make amends, offering to carry the sea's sorrowful melody and cradle the waves, adding to its song, its own voice. The elements have met but now it was only a matter of time. 


	7. The end of the begining Part 2

**Chapter 6: Part 2: The end of the beginning**

The memorized knight broke the intense gaze and stumbled back startled by the depth of the woman's eyes, like ocean colored pools that churned so many emotions within at once with just one glance and the surprising shock at seeing the beautiful creature at once, without warning. She immediately felt sorry for grabbing such a delicate and seemingly fragile creature in such a way and startling her, for the sea maiden acted like it had been done before in the past and knew fear from it. But Uranus just needed to know just what it was she was dealing with and why.

"I..I'm sorry." The knight said shaking her head with a regretful ness Neptune never imagined seeing from her towards her.

"You..You're not afraid..." The voice whispered a little shocked; the apology seemed foreign to her ears.

"Afraid?"

The heir of the oceans nodded slightly and swam back away from the sheltering coral rocks she half hid behind, and into the more shallow part of the water. She was pretty sure the knight had seen and if not, it gave her the truth she deserved to know.

At once -as if by the mermaids wishes- the mists cleared away instantly and moved else where, finally allowing herself to be seen and the power which held her captive and made her a part of this (pardon da chibi pic)

From the waist up she was a woman, but replacing her legs there was a curiously beautiful slivery teal scaled fin, which bobbed slowly in the water as the gentle waves made their way around her body. She looked down wishing she could walk and stand and have legs, if only once. Like all the human women she saw claimed after ship wrecks by the angry vengefulness of her father and creator, the sea god of Neptune, who had upon death, became the spirit of the sea. She had cried over their bodies then. Admiring their smooth skin and legs and how beautiful those creatures were, but non like the one she had saved that fateful day. It was just something about the knight that made her breath quicken and her heart flutter in her chest just at the sight and in the presence of the strong woman warrior. But there was no chance -not before or ever- that this creature would stay with her, she who was a changeling. She who was a woman whose life was half dominated by the sea and prisoner to this shadowy wet world of Neptune and though she loved the sea dearly, she was so utterly alone and wished for just once someone to love.

'If only...' The mermaid thought sadly. 'If only those things I was told as a child were true...'

* * *

Uranus had followed the sad ocean eyes and saw the cause of her question, nearly gasping a loud. A merwoman, a maiden of the sea! She was of a race of creatures that were the most radiant of beauties and softest of voices. Who could lore even the most determined sailors off their navigated course with just the sigh of their breath and the melody of their sadden songs. Mermaids who called out to the ships curiously, watching with lust sadden eyes. Dragging their victims farther into the depths of the watery world shielded in sea mist. Leading them to their fate, and then to stay by their sides even in death. Till at last the sea maiden's move on just searching for another champion to break the curse of the sea. They were sultry sirens that danced with dolphins and saved the men who fell off their vesicles and brought them to shore with a choice in their hearts. And if they choose that world, underwater castles made of golden coral of magnificent heights and scales, chests of gold and jewels and the hand of the daughter of the sea king, was the reward, at least that's what the fables told.

It made Uranus remember the myths she read as a child. And the day she had to let go of all those fairy tales and become a warrior, pledged to something greater then her own life's worth. Forgetting her past memories and feelings in order to handle everything like a knight would; forgetting the complicated tangles of life like love, emotion, and dedication to something. Things like that could get one into trouble. She learned through painful times and hurt that if you cut away all the strings that try and bind you like a master to its puppet and just use the body as a shield inwardly and out, nothing could harm you. Sure, it was lonely at times but among men, steal, sweat and blood there was no reason for words, goodbyes or adieu's. There was only the language which took place in the form of a clang of armor and the hiss of blade cascading off another, battle cries and war tactics. That was all it was, and all that was needed. But Uranus saw something within the mermaid's eyes that stirred in the pit other stomach a strangely familiar feeling, a sense of need. Like a deep, prolonged cry to be set free, released, provoked and set to peace. Feelings of understanding, love, companionship, but most of all freedom, they both craved freedom. To be set free of the chains that held them to their worlds.

Neptune waited for the habitual echo of foot steps if this creature was to retreat or the burn of greedy ropes as a net would be thrown upon her to be captured for gold, fame or wealth. Both had been done before. And both times her internal tears stirred within the sea an angry roar and the water god -enraged by the trespassers who unsettled his daughter- would show them the consequences. And they were no more. Mere treasures slowly swallowed and settled to the sea floor hidden in the shadows and silence of their sudden fate. Treasures that was lost in the quiet solitude where all things were created. Returning to whence life began the womb and bosom of the sea.

The sea maiden waited and after a moment looked up just in time to see a pair of breath stealing sky colored wings burst open before her in a impressive rush of wind and motion, causing feathers to slowly descend and float on the clear teal surface of the ripples of the lagoon. She drew in a shallow breath and whispered in awe.

"You are truly an angel... Some type of Goddess of the 

She looked down still awed, the power and strength the winged knight held was over powering. Neptune knew in the world she fell from, she must have held a high rank and took orders from no one. At last she knew she had met another entity like her. Only a few times when she was a Merchild did she ever hear about such winged creatures that lived up in the clouds, in castles in the sky. Bringing on the beautiful colors of sunsets and rainbows and stars at night. It was the sky realm where Pegasus's and unicorns dwelt and also gallant warriors. They were winged champions of the realm of the Heavens. Warriors who were loyally pledged to the crown and the sky king Uranus, fighting for the truth and the justice of men and woman alike on winged armored horses. They were the messengers of the sky and the voice of the wind which howled at night, they were the voice of the heavens. Or so the fables told.

Uranus half smiled and reached out tilting the sea maiden's chin upward to meet her eyes, with a strong yet gentle hand.

"M'lady, I have been called many things, but never an angel. And I am most certainly not a goddess..." She took a step back her expression unreadable and reached for her armor. Checking to see how much damage was done and what needed replacing. At last the stunned mermaid found her voice again and shook her head in protest. Teal waves flowed enthusiastically around her beautiful face as she did so, that which the knight had looked just in time to see and a slightly pinkish tint crossed her skin as she busily looked away again.

"But you came from the sky world. You have wings like angels and the mark of the holy kingdom across your heart."

And when Haruka blushed more and looked to her quizzically, Neptune swallowed and she smiled shyly.

"When I had undressed you I saw it, the royal symbol of the Heavens, of Uranus over your heart. You are the messenger, the winged one of the skies. As a child I heard stories of such angels, you've come to save me, haven't you?"

"I am no angel!" The winged entity scowled bitterly her eyes a treacherous gray icy blue like the skies in the dead of winter. She did however soften her voice considerably seeing the maiden flinch unexpectedly. After all this wasn't just another rough around the edges type of person she was used to in the royal guard, this was a soft voiced gentle maiden but Uranus had no idea how to be gentle anymore.

"An angel of death perhaps, but a fallen angel.. If anything…"

The winged warrior looked ironically at the sky which had only recently rejected her and closed her eyes allowing herself to remember her hardened memories and looked to the still blood tainted sky seeing something the mermaid could not. She sighed continuing in a distant voice, which was strangely calm.

"I am a born soldier. Raised and trained to fight and that is all. Forget me sea witch, chant some other lost soul. For I am as a living corpse cast out by the gods, on a mission with a lost cause." Not meeting the sea maidens regretful and stained eyes from tears that could not fall, the cast out knight bent to retrieve her sword out of the pile the maiden had brought forth from the sea, careful as to not touch any others for it was bad luck and all she needed was the angered spirits of men who owned those swords to taunt her soul yet.

"If not an angel... Then a winged warrior..." Neptune remarked carefully as she swam tentatively forward clutching on the rock Uranus was standing on and met the now off guard sky colored eyes with her own ocean colored ones.

"No, a winged warrior with gentle eyes." The mermaid then said softly. Haruka swallowed and slowly sheathed her sword.


	8. In the darkest of shadows, there is a ra...

**Authors notes:**

Thank you everyone for your reviews, support, and sticking with this story! You've been patient and I appreciate it. On with chapter 7! (P.s. I have ideas for chapter 8 so you won't have to wait so long, hopefully. ' Stick with me, I know what I'm doing and all will be revealed soon! -; and by the way, I used German for the language of Uranian.. I'm not claiming that language, just burrowing it. And French is Neptunian,. Same deal too with that okay? Just for future reference)

I dedicated this chapter to my wind chaser. Without that person in my life, I would only be a shadow in this world.

**Chapter 7:**

It was a beautiful early Neptunian morning. The misty sunlight was just making its way through the protecting mists and shadows, coloring the previous night colored waves, a light aqua marine.

A curious mermaid was perched delicately out of the water resting her elbows on a slow sun warming rock stroking a seemingly tame and to her, exotic creature. It tilted it head to the side and glanced at her curiously, opening its eagle like beak a few times not used to the gentleness this maiden gave it.

It was a Gryphon, significantly smaller then adults of its kind by far so it had to have been a baby. It was, right now, the size of a domestic cat, with orange feathers and clear green eyes. It even resembled a type of cat with its growing lion like body and tail, the only difference was feathers replacing fur and head of an eagle. Neptune scratched under its wings and it made a pleasing sound and stretched out its front paws luxuriously. Not to far off another winged form stirred awake and made a surprising noise at the sight before her and stood quickly.

"Hey! Get away from that, it's vicious!"

The one in question opened its once contented eyes and locked a dangerous glance with its former master and squawked as if insulted. It then took flight and screeched in greeting way in its mistress's ear kneading her with its claws and biting at her hair with its beak. Uranus scowled and pried the shrieking creature off of her and held it out away from her, it tried to bite her hands while she did so.

"A pet of yours?" Neptune asked awed at the display.

"If you could call it that..." The knight winced as the winged creature cried out again, hanging upside down by its claws on her arm. "Behave!"

Neptune giggled a little getting the impression that the youngster was just trying a form of playing and that the knight acted more like its parent.

"I think it likes you." She said smiling.

"Quite." The warrior let the little Gryphon down and it paced away distain fully, pride wounded and began to groom its feathers indignantly.

The mermaid watched it for a few moments and smiled up to its owner.

"Did it come from your world?"

The knight nodded and sat again keeping a weary eye on the troublesome burden.

"Yes, on one of my missions, I stumbled upon it by accident. It was separated by its parents and got my scent and now it won't leave me alone. Which isn't too good for me, especially when its parents come to look for it, they tend to have a bad temper and are extremely large and meat loving."

Neptune's eyes widened a little. "Oh I see."

Uranus glanced around after a moment expectantly, as if looking for something.

"What is it?" The sea maiden questioned noticing the woman knight's search. There was a rush of air suddenly and a rearing of hooves as another and last of the foreign creatures made its self known. It was a magnificent war horse, gleaming golden in color with silver hooves, strong muscles, and a pair of extraordinary wings much like its masters. It pawed at what little earth was found in the wet world and shook its head letting out a frustrated snort.

"That." Uranus stood again and called out something in a strange language and the winged stallion glided across the short distance and landed beside its master glad to see her again. The knight ran her hand along its shimmering hide glad to see that her war companion was alive and well. It must have followed her here somehow, she figured it was a sign that she had to return and fight for the world she fell once again for the horse whickered, eager for battle.

"The two travel with me and we stick together, so I knew that where one would be the other would too. I hoped as much." She glanced at the Gryphon.

"Yes, even you, you over grown parakeet." It made a type of hissing noise at its master from the insult and continued at its task of skimming over the shallow water for small fish that jumped out on occasion.

Neptune never took her eyes off the new arrival and got closer to where they were.

"What's its name?" She asked softly.

Uranus smiled a little looking to her again and said something that sounded so foreign yet so perfect to the maiden's ears. Her voice had a different texture too, it was airy almost, yet thick and husky.

"Himmelskönig. It's Uranian for, 'Sky King'."

"May I touch him?" She asked softly reaching out with her hand. Uranus considered it a few seconds and then nodded in response and the horse leaned down and sniffed her hand, nibbling her palm after a moment friendly licking the salt from her skin. She giggled a little because it tickled and ran her fingers along its nose and along its broad forehead feeling the velvet like texture of its pelt, noticing that it had the same symbol the warrior had over her heart.

Never before had Neptune seen such things as what she had that day, before in her life time. It meant something, she knew. From the moment she saw the knightly warrior she felt in her heart that something extraordinary was going to happen. The knight brought forth change and revolution. Also, something she couldn't quite place, something she knew but couldn't put words with. An element we know as, the Wind. A soft breeze tricked through the trees creating a delicate shower of vanilla blossoms to fall around them. Neptune smiled softly taking in the sight and closing her eyes as the wind blew across her for the first time.

Both the sea maiden and warrior were sitting on the rock enjoying the day and each others company. The winged horse grazed not to far off and the Gryphon, full from the meal he caught, lay nearby his beak under his wing sleeping.

Uranus hated to admit it, but she was actually happy. It was so peaceful just watching the waves and soaking in the sun. She knew, if she had died, she would have wanted to be in a place like this anyway. But all good things have to come to an end, don't they? She had a mission, with or without a cause. While she thought she glanced over and drank in the sight before her scarcely breathing.

'Beautiful'

She knew the smiles the maiden had today were genuine and it pleased her knowing that she was happy. It dulled some of the torment in her eyes and healed some of the knights own.

Neptune had felt the gray blue sky colored eyes on her all the while and looked over just in time to meet the knight's who blushed a little but didn't break the glance. She smiled softly; the sun was making her drowsy, suddenly tired. Thinking out loud, her voice sounded a little sad, far away, almost pained or weak.

"I.. I wish.."

Uranus, captivated by her eyes, the moment and her presence leaned closer; concern had begun to cross her features moments later as the maiden looked pale all of a sudden.

"I wish,. I could stay at the surface with you all the time. If only.." Things after that happened quickly and it was Uranus who caught the maiden as she half fainted, panting in her arms as if she needed air.

"What's wrong?" The knight had asked suddenly very worried. "What's happening?"

"I.. can't be out of the water for long.. I can only hold so much air before I need to be in the water again or I'll die. But I didn't want to go back into the shadows again, I wanted to stay."

Uranus held her eyes seeing the desperate plea within them as the delicate creature was so helpless and fragile in her arms, the unspoken cry to remain there, to stay in the wind, to experience new things. She knew the maiden longed for all the things she could never grasp caught in the webs of this world and what restricted her.

The knight acted quickly then, finding a crater large enough and deep enough for the maiden in the rock she had called home for the past weeks. It was filled with surf that had washed into it from one of the past high tides and was still part of the surface but held qualities the mermaid needed and she lowered her into it. Almost at once, the color came back to the sea maiden's peaches and cream hued skin and her chest heaved in gulps of oxygen from transparent gills that couldn't be seen at first glance. Her eyes had been closed but they slowly opened showing such sadness and regretful anguish that the winged knight felt compelled to lie on her stomach and reach her arm into the pool, touching her cheek gently with her hand and offering a rare type of smile when she looked up and met her eyes. After a moment Neptune placed her hand over the battle worn yet gentle hand of her champion keeping it there and smiled slowly back, in return.

'I am alright now. Thank you for your concern.' The soft voice whispered into Uranus's mind, calming her growing internal fears.

'I'm glad.' She answered back not knowing how they could communicate this way, but trusted it. 'You've been kind to me; it was the least I could do.'

'It was nothing really. I wanted to help you, I..' The maiden stopped her thought shyly and looked away.

'Tell me..' The warrior provoked softly, her heart beat quickening with every passing moment. The sea maiden smiled softly and met her eyes again.

'I want to see you in your glory.'

Uranus blinked and felt her cheeks flush slightly, a part of her wanted to get away. This sea woman was getting to close. Getting too deep, knowing much more then she should.

And yet, the knight's strong hand cupped her cheek and pulled her up and forward gently, just enough for her head to be out of the water and leaned in, grazing her lips gently, painfully slow. Her expression was unreadable as the kiss broke and Neptune looked up at her again with searching eyes, her lips trembled from what they had felt.

'I'm sorry.. I shouldn't have kissed you without permission.' This time it was the husky whisper of the heir of the wind.

'Please don't apologize. I didn't mind." The soft whisper of the sea maiden answered, and they kissed again. Both savoring the feeling of what that brought and clung on to each other as if the world was about to crumble away around them.


	9. To face the truth

**Authors notes:**

Hi I hope everyone likes this chapter. What I did was it switches back and forth from past to present letting more of the story be revealed. I cry when I read this, so I'm hoping its good enough that you guys will too ' Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

The streets at night were shadowed and the sky was dark and threatening. It was as if, holding its breath, waiting for the right time to unfurl its secrets. At first, it was an eerily peaceful state, the calm before the storm and then the downpour came.

On that day, the lighting had flashed and seemed like tears against the horizon, it was as if the sky was weeping. The rain was slow and steady, then faster beating down unmercifully. It collected in the crevices within the worn stoned lined streets and in puddles which scattered in splashes. The droplets were frigid against the young girl's skin through her clothes.

No matter how long or what distraction she had tried, Uranus could not banish these memories from her mind.

She had run through streets and alleyways, dodging carriages and people caught in the sudden down pour and darkness of the approaching night from the shadows of the storm. Her normal clothes would have tripped her up long ago if she hadn't changed into britches and a shirt before she left. Her hair had been newly cropped short and wild from the harsh wind provoked by the storm, yet it matched her completely.

Even though she had ran through rain, mudded streets, and guided only by the brightness that the lighting flashes gave forth, she was hardly out of breath. Maybe it was the dull ache that had begun to grow in her heart that kept her mind off her body, like how her skin shivered from the cold or how her muscles burned fiercely from the effort. But she didn't care.

Turning the corner, she saw it. It was a tiny home run shop, not uncommon in the market place because many shops were like that, but it held a warm quality. She had heard enough about it from her brother. Rumor had it that the owner of the shop had appeared seemingly from no where, it had been whispered that she wasn't from around that world, at all.

"Perhaps she was noble woman who ran away from her lord." Some had said.

"Or a witch who was cast forth from her land.. Have you seen how quiet and particular she is? And beautiful too! It has to be some form of witchcraft that she carries." A few nodded in agreement, envy burning in their eyes for the young woman's fair skin and silky hair.

"I heard that she was banished from the castle for having an affair with the king himself!" One elderly man mused. "Or was it the prince?"

And the rumors had continued. No one knew from when or where she came but she was kind enough and gave out sweet cakes to the children and sold goods for reasonable prices. She was fair to everyone she could, so many people had liked her. Even so, it never hurt anybody to keep a weary eye open just in case and most often had.

The more boyish looking heir of the wind had paused out side of the soft lighted shop, touching the thickly blurred panes of the stained glass window of the outside. Her fingertips traced a few shapes curiously, they were sea shells and they aligned the base of the window in some sort of decoration, though she didn't know because she had never seen such things before.

The young girl sighed heavily and looked at the pouch in her hand, her eyes bleared from tears she wouldn't let her self cry.

'How could I? How could I be the one to break her heart... ?'

"Hello there," A soft voice questioned from the shops open door. "Are you lost?"

Uranus blinked hardly hearing the kind voice from the roar of the heavy rain and bit her lip as she looked up and met shimmering marine colored eyes and a warm smile.

'Gods, she's beautiful.'

Remembering what she came to do she nodded and closed her hand around the pouch again, hiding it from sight.

"Come in then, out of the rain." The young woman said still smiling. "You look like you could use a friend, just now."

And the soft voice was cut off in the street by the closing of the shop's wooden door as the soaked heir entered, every foot step felt like a leaded weight had been added to her body and weighed down on her heart. She had hardly felt the warmth of the fire on her skin as she stood next to it shivering or the hot cup of sweet smelling herbal tea as it was pressed into her numb and trembling hands...

* * *

Uranus woke up suddenly, her head aching from haunting memories and her eyes glazed over from years of internal torment. She licked her dry lips and slowly opened her eyes. Most of the night had been spent and she knew the sun would rise soon. Yet the stars still glittered against the water filled pool before her making the warrior feel as though she was still dreaming. Her bangs were wet from the rising water touching her hair as the tide had come in earlier and forced herself into a sitting position. The front of her clothes had been damp but her wings remained dry. Her one arm, which had been in the water when she woke, felt icy to the touch and she looked to it strangely trying to remember why. Salt clung to her skin turning it a pale color and her fingertips were wrinkled, the warrior frowned and rubbed feeling back into her arm and it was then she remembered the mermaid and her unshed tears.

The knight stood slowly, her muscles were stiff from the hours of being in the same position and sadly, she took a few paces back away from the pool. It had become part of the sea again and the waves must have drawn the sleeping maiden back into the water under the darkened velvet which was the surf.

'Perhaps, it is better this way.' The now detached gray-blue eyed figure decided and turned, gathering her sword as if it pained her. A winged stallion stood ready for its mistress and stamped its hooves impatiently, a gold harness waited for its rider's hands. Uranus took a look around fighting the ache in her heart. She wondered why she felt regret for leaving, why a part of her screamed to remain. The knight had told her self from the beginning that she had to get back as soon as possible and free her land from the hands of that deceiving bastard that caused all of this.

In the beginning, she had waited through those long days and nights with a rebellious passion. But it seemed as though the maiden had given her a choice all along. When she had regained consciousness, she felt as though she was being restricted, captive to this watery world and its mists. But then she had time to think it over and ponder it when she couldn't sleep at night.

If the maiden had wanted her to stay in the first place, she wouldn't have healed her wing. The maiden could have let it heal wrong and she couldn't have flown again. But by helping her it showed that the mermaid had loved her so much she was willing to let her go. And now it seemed time to let the bird out of its cage and into the wild again.

'I never thanked her for helping Me.' her thoughts concluded distantly.

'To just disappear without saying good bye? Her heart will break.' Uranus trembled and closed her eyes gripping her sword's hilt till her knuckles turned white.

'Just like that day..', a part of her reminded in torturous way, 'I broke her heart too. '

* * *

"So what's a young girl like you doing out in a wretched night like this alone?" The kind voiced maiden questioned as she poured some tea and handed it into Uranus's numb hands. The one in question stared into the depths of the hot liquid and let her eyes blur.

"How could you tell I was a girl?" The young faraway voice had responded with a question to a question. The woman who sat next to her by the fire smiled a little knowingly and chose her words as she answered, glancing into the fire as she sipped her tea.

"Well, I've never seen such a pretty boy before around here as you appear to be. You also missed a spot when you cut your hair." The voice had mused gently and went to fetch something. There was a soft sound of hair being cut and then the dirty blond lock fell to the floor, gleaming golden in the fire light.

"There you are." The young woman remarked replacing the object she used and regained her place next to the uneasy girl.

"T... thanks." She had stammered, still not meeting the young woman's eyes again. They were too trusting, too deep, and too perfect and she couldn't look into those eyes again with the truth she held.

"You look familiar to me." That same smile again. "Your features are striking, a defined chin and jaw line, proud and unwavering over all, like nobility." Their eyes met.

"And you're eyes, they tell so much and yet by looking into them you learn nothing at all unless by will. They are like the color of the sky, unruly like the wind. There's only one other person I know with features like those."

Uranus's mouth felt dry and she swallowed a few times and looked at the fire.

"Do you have any siblings where you're from?" She asked innocently enough provoking the conversation again.

"I..." Uranus whispered and forced herself from feeling faint. Now? Do I tell her the truth? "A brother." She whispered.

The maiden smiled a little, if she noticed the girl's uneasy behavior she didn't show it.

"I have a younger sister myself." Her eyes sadden a bit. "She's back at home though." Uranus stole a glance and her nervousness lessened a bit.

"Her name is Michiru. She's the sweetest little sister anyone could want." She took out a golden sea shelled shaped locket with a hand drawn portrait inside. "I had this made when I came here. She looks a bit like me, don't you think?"

Uranus nodded a little looking at the picture which had glowed golden from the fire.

"Beauty runs in your family." A blush crossed her cheeks a little when she said that and quickly tried to excuse herself. "What I mean is..."

The young woman laughed a little. "No it's alright, I understand. So, what brought you here?"

Uranus sobered again and glanced to the fire as if it would give her the answer; she bit her lip and drew in a shaky breath.

"I came..."

"Yes?" The gentle voice encouraged.

"I came because..." The young girl took out the rain dampened pouch slowly, and it glowed in the fire like an eerie forewarning. It swung back and forth by its draw strings, the former owners initials "C.A.T" stood out plainly in gold embroidery thread. The woman beside her looked to it strangely as if she did not want it to register and finally gasped, crying out.

"No!" The tea cup she held, shattered against the floor scattering pretty white porcelain with a deafening sound.

"Gods No!" The maiden crumbled to the floor sobbing heart broken, gripping the floor boards with her fingers as if she would fall off the face of the earth with out them.

"Coeus.. Why... why..."

Uranus watched her, eyes wide; teeth clenched shut, her eyes brimming with tears. Tears for her brother, for this woman who had loved him so much, for her world that she knew was crumbling right before her eyes, a few escaped and slipped down her cheek. They were going to marry; he had told her that they were planning to run away together. He had looked so happy.

The young girl knelt and held the heart broken woman close as her body was racked with hysterical sobs.

"I can't..." she began, drawing in a quick breath through her tears. "I can't live with out him. I can't..."

No one really knew how true those words were, only that the next day there had been news that the young maiden had slipped off in the early hours of the morning and disappeared suddenly without a trace. For the ones that had seen her some had called it suicide.

The only physical thing that Uranus had from that night letting her know that it wasn't just a nightmare, was that dark blue pouch the women had touched so tenderly before giving it back to her sadly, closing the girls fingers around it.

"But.. Larissa, he wanted you to have it..."

"No, I have no use for it now. I can not. You're his sister, you should keep it. Maybe someday..." Her eyes seemed to show an internal decision within her and she pulled herself off the floor slowly and stood. Her face was no longer warm or smiling but determined, slightly chilled and shadowed.

"Thank you, Haruka, for coming here. But if you don't mind, I would like to be alone now."

"Of... of course" The young girl stammered in reply numbly and exited from the shop in a daze, that pouch in her hand.

Later that night she had opened it, the contents spilled on to her bed sheets and glittered from the dim light of her night table lamp. It consisted off an intricate looking key on a chain and a wedding band.

* * *

The knight had taken a few steps forward but was stopped by a voice she knew so well, the voice that stirred every part of her and shook her to the very core within.

"You're leaving... aren't you?" A soft tear laced voice called out from the mist.

"Yes, I must." The distant voice had responded it was hard to pinpoint the exact emotion behind it.

The mermaid held back a sob and the knight closed her eyes fighting the urge to turn back and forced her to take another step.

"I knew you would, someday. I can't keep you here, I knew that. I just hoped, that perhaps after all this time, there could be a chance..."

"A chance for what?" the knight snapped trying to push her away, trying to give the sea maiden a good reason to forget about her.

The mermaid's eyes flashed with unspeakable sorrow, wounded from the venom in the woman's reply. She was suddenly angry.

"Why? Why did you come here? Why were you brought here, then?"

The warrior stiffened and her eyes glazed over with torment.

Why? The mermaid had asked her that just like that woman had that night, with those same passionate eyes. Like the sea, they had gleamed with churning emotion.

"It was not by intention that I came. There was a great battle in my kingdom; I was cast out by a very powerful evil. I must return to avenge what had been lost to me. My brother was killed by this evil in the cause to stop it. My father was too far in that by the time he realized what was happening, he was powerless to control it and was also killed. There is only me left and I must save those few who have faith in our lost cause. I can't let their sacrifices be in vain..."

Neptune's stared at the figure before her, eyes unfocused, seeing the pictures in her mind from listening.

"I know. Believe me, I understand. My world was lost by a great evil too. I lost everything dear to me and there was nothing I could do to stop it. We suffer the same, I can feel it. The waves, they churn of it, the.. The..." she struggled for it name, it was new to her yet it was as though she knew it forever.

"Wind?" the knight whispered hoarse from raw emotion she could no longer hide.

"It smells of it. Can't you hear their cry? You can't leave now. If you leave, all will truly be lost!" She reached out to her; unshed tears gleamed in her eyes. "Please, don't go. Not yet. Please... Haruka."

The winged warrior turned to face her, hot wet tears staining her face which seemed tired from years of fighting, running away and forgetting.

"How did you know my name?" she asked tiredly and a little startled, taking her hand in her own.

"I don't know." The maiden cried out loud after a moment, her emotions and built up sorrow coming out suddenly. "I just know it... it was like I never forgot it. But how can that be?"

Haruka slid waist deep into the pool not caring how cold the water was and gathered the shivering mermaid into her arms, holding her close. She kept her wings up so they wouldn't get wet by instinct even though at the moment she would take that risk of them getting wet if she had too. She had held her just like that woman who had been crying just like on that night but this time she knew she wouldn't be the cause of it any longer.

"It's alright..." she soothed and stroked the smaller woman's back.

"I have a feeling we were brought together for a purpose, for what I have no idea. But maybe, together, we can find out."

"You had said you lost your brother.." the maiden began after a moment calmed from Uranus's touch, as she fingered an old intricate looking key that she wore on a chain around her neck with an sudden fascination.

"I lost my sister too." She exclaimed when she got no reply. "It was before the evil came here. She left for an unknown land in the name of love." She examined the key seeing with her eyes engraved initials there but not paying enough attention to truly see them. Uranus put a hand on the mermaids own, stopping her curious fingers as they toyed with the significant trinket around the woman knight's neck. The maiden felt the women swallow and lick her lips as if hesitating something.

"Michiru..?"

The mermaid blinked, now it was her turn to feel the growing feeling of irony.

"Yes..."

The woman knight said nothing and just held her even closer, burying her face in the damp teal tresses at the top of her head which was tucked under her chin. Realizations trickling over her like the cool water around her waist.


	10. To Understand Destiny

**Chapter 9**

"So your brother was Larissa's lover..." A soft sadden voice whispered in the first early rays of the morning as twilight surrendered to the sun. There was no need for a response, it had been clear and the silence was answer enough. "We lost them both on that day..."

"It won't be in vain, Michiru. I promise you that." A raw tired voice of a battle worn solider replied, which internal wounds were opened again in order to be tended and treated, for them to ever heal properly. Anger was also apparent in her voice as Uranus continued in a dangerously low whisper, mostly for her self.

"He caused this... That bastard did all this on purpose. He knew damned well what would happen in the end; he planned it so no one but him would win. No, I wont rest till his blood runs by the edge of my blade. He will not get away with this."

The knight felt the maiden shivering within her arms and held her closer, aware that her words affected her and hid the anger for her sake.

"You could die," The mermaid sobbed against the warm skin of the warrior's shoulder with growing fear for her winged champion's life. "He's too powerful for you to beat alone."

"He has gotten stronger then before." Uranus agreed reluctantly with a scowl. "He has mage magic; dark and powerful magic. He uses energy from the elements and I'm afraid I only have the powers given to me by birth. But it can't be helped, I must fight."

"I wish there was someway I could help you..." The teal haired woman said regretfully then, looking into her winged warrior's eyes and framing her face with her hands. "I wish I could fight with you."

Uranus smiled softly, genuinely and nuzzled her forehead gently trying to push away the growing heart ache within her chest. It was going to be painful to leave her, she realized.

"You have helped me, in so many ways and if he got you too, I wouldn't know what I'd do. It's my duty to protect you in any way I can. I will try my best to give you back what you lost." The knight blushed a little form the emotions that coursed through her all by the presence of this strong willed yet gentle maiden. "I promise."

They both leaned in and kissed with loving gentleness. A moment later, when the kiss had broke Neptune searched her love's eyes again before tucking her head under her chin. A single question posed by the maiden then lingered in the air.

"Why did you become a knight instead of a lady if it was so dangerous? In my kingdom, women never fought..."

* * *

A young child about the age of four was brought into a marbled floored room full of adults and strangers she didn't know and glanced around with wide sky blue eyes. The room had been decorated just for this occasion with shields and banners from all lands and kingdoms, and the carpet she walked upon was a stretch of dark blue carpet that was sewn with gold thread.

Before the girl, the King of the Heavens had stood in front of his throne. She wondered why she had been brought there and away from her brother who she was with when they took her. She was afraid it was because of her clothes, earlier that day she had tugged off the frilly dress her nursemaid pulled over her head after a stubborn protest on her part, and pulled on a linen shirt and britches. By then, from rough housing outside with the courtyard animals and things ladies in training shouldn't do, her clothes were torn in places and smudged with dirt. Even for a young child however, she didn't show much concern for a punishment if there was one. She simply wanted to get back to what she left from and away from all those strange eyes and disapproving glances and murmurs. As she approached two objects were laid before her.

* * *

"Why choose a life of fighting?" The maiden's question continued.

"I never really had a choice. Since my brother and father were killed, my kingdom needed a leader. Its not like I'd want it any other way though..." Uranus added at the end thoughtfully before continuing urges from Neptune, who made a small curious noise, listening.

"I was given a test when I was a small child. A mirror and a wooden sword were laid on the floor and I had to pick one. I had been playing with a wooden sword ever since I was two with my brother; therefore I went for it, since I didn't know what the other was..." Her eyes grew distant for a moment and she frowned lost in memory.

* * *

The young girl had looked to the two objects wondering what was expected of her, confused.

"Thank you for brining my daughter here." The king addressed the servant who bowed and stepped away. "Of course M'Lord"

"Now we shall see." A man standing to the kings right murmured mostly to his self and waited as the girl was confronted. Uranus remembered out of all the people there, his eyes were the strongest. She wanted to turn and run away, what did they want from her?

* * *

"No one told me a thing, and I did the only thing that came to my mind, then. I figured they weren't going to leave and were just there so I did what I thought was right..."

* * *

When the young girl reached down and picked up her toy sword, soft gasps came from the group of finely dressed people, other royals like her father who had gathered for that ordeal. The man beside her father grimaced a little and leaned over to say something into the king's ear. To this day she remembered that moment.

"Well, there goes your bloodline. And to think, she would have given me plenty of sons to rule after you passed on..."

Uranus was too young to understand what the man meant but she did however pick up a few words and grew scared. It was then her nursemaid took her hand again to lead her away. The girl turned and watched her father and his reaction to the man's words, steadily.

The king's grip tightened on the hilt of his blade as the words of his long trusted friend came into his awareness and pierced his heart like a dull arrow. Normally, anyone who would dare address a part of the royal family in such a way would be punished but the lord of Uranus merely rubbed his wearily eyes which had dimmed a little after that fact had been presented to his ears.

"Aye. Thank Goodness her mother wasn't alive to see her only daughter rebel in such a way."

Ever since Haruka was small she knew of the sacrifice given by her mother. The servants in the castle as well as her father on occasion mentioned it often. Especially on the events in which she refused to wear a dress, participate in a courting or even down to the simplest lady like mannerisms, preached to her by the palace instructor of proper etiquette and manners.

Uranus had taken the words to heart once. When she was younger she had tried the dresses and learned the rules but it always felt so awkward and made her feel out of place. She felt vulnerable in that confining cloth of lace and ruffle; tripping on the skirts when she tried to run, or ripping them anyway. The entity of the wind had decided when the first Prince of Uranus was killed that she had no reason to pretend any more and that she would become the prince. As she grew into an adolescent, his clothes become less baggy and fit her more; she was almost like his twin except for the womanly curves that nature had insisted on giving her and the mark of Uranus on her forehead that provided she was the chosen Heir of the Wind.

* * *

Uranus explained the man from her past to Neptune as she recalled her memories.

"I remember how he used to give me gifts up until I got older and would attempt to court me. I hated him and I almost succeeded in killing him once when I was sixteen and preparing to leave a few days from then to finish my training to get my shield... but I was stopped too soon. My father took his side of course; he had no reason to suspect him. No one really knew what had happened that night, not even my brother." She left out a shaky sigh while Michiru listened petting the inside of her wing, coaxing her to continue. She knew this was the best way to clean wounds, to let everything out and then apply the bandage; it wouldn't leave scars that way.

"I never trusted him and now I know why. He was the one who killed my brother and destroyed my life even before it begun..and here" The knight hugged her maiden closer as the sun had begun to rise, she would need to leave very soon. She had delayed enough already.

"I remember the night our kingdom fell." The maiden began still running her fingers through Uranus's wing but not realizing it as she was lost in memories.

"There was nothing but panic and darkness, the whole atmosphere of the sea had changed in that very instant."

* * *

The sea had churned and ripped itself apart from the inside out, as if tainted by some type of crude poison. Every one was alarmed and in a sense of panic but the king of Neptune did his best to reassure them all.

* * *

"But when the monsters came, when the chaos hit, my father was confronted by something he had never seen before; wicked magic, powerful fighters who invaded the sea and fought our armies."

Uranus frowned a little and glanced down to the woman in her arms who shivered from the feelings within and the memories they brought and held Michiru closer. Her eyes glazed over coolly with hatred for the one who caused such pain but her embrace did no good then. The sea maiden continued lost in her past and couldn't feel the warmth where she was.

* * *

There had been darkness; it had seeped through the water like black ink in dangerous rolling clouds and consumed everything in its path. Powerful light blasts shot through the water and were so powerful they shook the sea floor. The walls of the castle and courtyard cracked and shattered under their power. The noise was muted from being submerged but it still created a sick sort of 'thunking' noise as hit and the water pressure swirled, new water from the outside of the crystal in to add with the old; poisoning all within from the water outside.

Among the noise and panic of surprise from the sudden attack, she could still hear her father's mage and advisor calling out and commanding his servants who were controlled by magic and or greed; mostly they were water demons created from his power and he used them to turn on the Neptunian people and kingdom. For the monsters and men who couldn't breathe under the water, a strong air bubble surrounded them as did the mage outside of the disguise he used to trick them all.

The King had fought for control of the sea and used his power to create hundreds of war horses from the foam of the waves and with each break, they charged against the enemy on land before they had a chance to enter the water. But Neptune's memories ended soon after those moments because she had been hidden away and protected deep within a secluded part of the sea and had no coherent thought until awoken again to deadly silence with only the elemental part of her world for company. There was nothing left of her kingdom and she had been bitterly alone and afraid. All of her family, and people turned into sorrowful sea spirits, and sea foam just like her grandmother said.

* * *

"Until you came, I had lost all hope." The mermaid had finally concluded, her voice laced with tears. Uranus kissed her forehead softly causing the symbol to glow faintly.

"Michiru, I promise you, I will get him for what he has done. I will somehow make it up to you." Uranus clenched her jaw a little and began to let her embrace loosen letting the maiden slip further into the water. "Just give me time, I will return to you."

Neptune's eyes grew wide with regretful realization as her arms slid down from around the other stronger woman's neck and she reached out and clung to Uranus's arms and then hands as the winged knight slipped away from her and stood on the rock again.

"Its time, I must leave."

"There must be a way that I can help you. Can't you feel it? It's wrong for you to leave now." Neptune began before looking away with doubt crossing her features, was there really a way? What could she possibly do?

Haruka shook her head determined and was about to reply, when both wind and sea, however separate, worked together during the next few moments to give them a very important sign and a push forward to destiny.

Out of no where a strong wind had picked up and caught the key around Uranus's neck and twirled on its chain in the breeze; it was light in the hand of the wind, as if it weighed nothing at all. Her eyes grew wide as she watched this surprised. Michiru couldn't hear what Haruka could as the winged warrior took the key from the air and pulled the chain over her neck holding it close to her heart for a second before glancing back to her, but there was a very rare tear slowly streaming down her face.

Michiru was about to question what was happening when the waves changed suddenly, as if being signaled by the closing of the winds act. There was a soft repetitious clunking sound of a small object being pushed along with various small shells and pebbles and knocked gently against a patch coral not too far off, all from the more peculiar acting of the surf.

Curious and transfixed with the strong urge to see what it was, the mermaid dove into the coves water and reached out to grab the object from the slow tumbling of the current of which it was caught. She cradled it to her chest as she surfaced again, and returned to her winged companion who still looked surprised but calm as if expecting this to be happening now. Still, Uranus couldn't keep the question from escaping her lips.

"What's going on?"

Michiru smiled with tears shining in her eyes and revealed a small treasure chest in her hands, ordinary as ever and untouched from the years it sat idle under the sea. It was as new as the day Larissa had given it to her to hold.

"It's the way I can help you."

Both their siblings, had reached out to them through the elements of their previous birth to give them each a long hidden secret, a powerful solution and their blessing to complete something they never had a chance to do; to join as one forever as partners, both wind and sea.


	11. The bonding of Wind and Sea

**Chapter 10**

The moment had been caught within a pregnant pause; as if time its self had held its breath waiting. The surface of Sea that had been caught in the wind seemed to lift and dance, circling around them as if having its own energy.

The whipping of the wind swirled and howled around the two entities. The two who were transfixed with a choice and lost in the depths of each others eyes as if seeking a solution; the two entities of Wind and Sea.

"Please, Haruka." The maiden didn't really know what of that she begged so intently, her voice seemed to blend with the churning of the waves, as if it came from the sea itself. Uranus swallowed and closed her eyes and whispered something like that of the wind, before it was calmed by its entities next actions.

The winged warrior knelt and picked up the sea maiden from the waves and cradled her within her arms. The wind died down to mere whispers that caught and carried swirls of vanilla blossoms to fall around them. The waves churned gently coaxing them like a long forgotten and comforting lullaby. The knight smiled a little to calm the maiden's apparent concern on her face and nodded a little to her words. "But How..?"

"Love." The mermaid whispered and held the small box in her hands. "You have the key, Haruka." She nodded and looked to the key in her hand before slowly raising it to the lock.

"Are you sure we can trust this?" The knight then whispered still uneasy on letting her actions depend on emotions alone.

"Larissa and Coeus did. We have to continue what they started. If we believe, anything is possible." Michiru searched her champions eyes and took her hand which was still held in mid air pause and touched them palm to palm with the key in-between. All the light surrounding them seemed to only radiate from their hands then in soft teal and gold auras.

"I couldn't help but feel drawn to you from the very beginning. I love you Haruka, I did from the moment I felt you beside me. From the time you came into my life, I knew I had to help you. I've waited so long for this, for you, I need you. Together I know, we can bring our worlds together, we can revolutionize for the future."

Uranus looked to their hands a moment surprised by the depth of her words; no one had cared for her so much. Nothing had felt so right and yet made her heart race at the same time. They hugged tightly, and there was a soft click as the small box was opened. In the embrace they both had watched as the key was turned and glanced to each other warily before Michiru tilted the wooden lid back. Golden light spilled out blinding them for a moment before dimming to a soft glow. Two objects sparkled from the light and floated up in the air as box and key faded and disappeared, no longer needed.

Both entities held their breath in awed surprise, neither knowing what was going to happen but willing to face it together as the objects came into focus, revealed by the power of the contents hidden away in that once seemly plain wooden box. Light sparkled-one at a time-a golden chain ending at the end of each, a jeweled tear drop. Both resembled drops of crystallized liquid caught and frozen within mid fall in time. On a whim, Uranus took the one tear drop necklace of Aqua Marine and hooked it around the mermaid's fair neck. And as her hands hooked the clasp, Neptune's own hooked the one of ruby about the warriors. The necklaces were identical yet different. One was of a drop of tears, the other of blood. Yet they were never to be separated and only existed within the presence of the other, like the wind and sea its self.

Maidens Tears and Warriors Blood.

Michiru smiled up into Haruka's blue gray eyes and reached up to brush back dirty blond bangs her fingers traced along the symbol on Haruka's forehead and it glowed softly from her touch and the power radiating around them from in the midst of the spell.

It took a moment before Haruka could find her voice and when she did it fought on the edge of over powering emotion.

"I know now, I can't do this alone. I can't live alone anymore. I can't fight anymore unless it's for you... I want to protect you. I love you too Michiru, all this time I had just been pushing it away. When all I had to do was embrace it." She nuzzled her forehead with her own together before their lips touched gently. Teal and gold auras sparkled and surrounded them then, and mixed as the wind and sea joined their song to one. It soared and rejoiced around them, the power coming together to swirl around them; embrace them as the Henshin was approaching. The bonding that would join the wind and the sea together forever as the one yet individual elements we know of today.

"Amoureux d'Inturnal, le vent au mer sûrement." The voice of the sea spoke in Neptunian yet no words were needed.

"Ewiglich der Liebespaar, der Wind und das Ozean bestimmt."

The wind copied in Uranian and the incantation was complete.

The winged warrior's strong sky colored wings rushed open as the wind caught them and tugged playfully as they were tight within the embrace, the swirling water rippled around them. The streams of water and air then entwined to make power ribbons which ran across their bodies.

Haruka was first as her torn and weather beaten garments faded and were replaced by a rush of material which fit around her and hung on her body like a passing wind resembling goddess like robes. A golden breast plate glittered and formed out of the light and her sheathed sword hooked to her side, gleaming with new powers. But the most startling thing was how things changed for the warrior internally. Her senses and mind reeled from new ones with joined with old.

The scent of the sea was suddenly sharper; she could taste the salt from the maiden's lips and the water which had been on them earlier. She could feel how the waves churned, making within her shift like the current and share for an instant, their pattern. How, if she had looked, the world of water wasn't all mists to her anymore; she could see it. The symbol on her forehead flashed teal before fading back to gold. She felt stronger then before, blessed with the powers of the wind by birth of course, but now those powers were woven with those of the sea too. Michiru had allowed her to receive this wonderful gift; she had wanted to give her this all along.

The maiden, so gentle and helpless on the outside, had been strong enough to break Uranus down from the inside out. Break her apart and piece her back together. For Michiru to have gone into her, mind, body and soul; to tare down, all the protective walls and mend her wounds. It made her a better person; she took away the frost covering her heart.

It was forbidden, they both knew. It was illegal to join elements, to combine worlds as they had just done. It was, however, the sweetest most fulfilling crime in their known existence and that of which made them both shamelessly convicted. For, if given the chance, they would do it all over again in an instant without a second thought. Though like everything in life, like how tears follow the flow of blood, if taken away they couldn't survive without the other. It was as risky as it was safe. It was their promise as partners, the responsibility of a lovers sacrifice for a better world; and it was to be for forever and always.

* * *

Bonding complete, Haruka slowly opened her eyes curious and a little frightened from the strangeness of the new part of her but it faded slowly from being completely dominant to just a warm tingling presence within her as the power of the heavens was still her strength. What she saw though when she did open her eyes was something she knew she would never forget; what the Henshin had done to the sea maiden. It was her tears. Years of built up emotion, had finally been allowed to be released and Michiru sobbed into the other woman's shoulder as Haruka was still knelt in previous position. The smaller form shivered in her embrace as tears so warm, honest and heartfelt almost sheered Uranus skin as it hit. She tried to comfort her and yet couldn't keep her attention focused because of the light that had begun to swirl around the sea maiden's form.

The very same ribbons as before, swirled and disappeared into nothingness as quickly as they came, causing her tail to split and form into legs before ending with two perfect feet. Teal surf and silver sea form swirled around her nude body and as the current pulled away and water ran off her skin, material formed. And finally, a pair of ocean colored wings of shifting teals and blues from the pattern that the surf created were folded against her back, weak but there none the less. The maiden had as Haruka did with the sea. She had gone through the same new feelings and emotions.

"Are you alright..? Michiru?" The one in question looked up from her companions shoulder smiling gently; water streaming down her face in slow but steadily drops. They were tears of happiness now. The maiden reached up to touch the droplets of water with her fingers curiously, before Uranus smiled and cupped one of her cheeks with her hand and kissed her tears away herself.

"I've never been happier." Michiru had finally answered gently, her smile was apparent in her voice.

The wind and sea were no longer unclaimed separate powers that ruled and choose fate for their entities as before but now were part of them. Neptune's and Uranus's emotions and feelings alone triggered them. They were now truly the wind and sea, and also they were part of each other.

* * *

"You should try to walk... Use your legs."

The once mermaid gasped and realized fully what Haruka's powers had allowed given her the ability to do to experience. Surprise crossed her features mixed with doubted joy. Haruka smiled and slowly left the embrace break so she wouldn't feel tempted to use her as a crutch but all of this was new and her muscles felt strange to her.

She bit her lip and tried to stand using her arms before clutching to the rock after a moment in fear as if the world around her was about to crumble.

"Haruka... I... I'm"

"It's alright."

The knight reached down and held her by the elbows, supporting the maiden as she managed to stand. Her newly formed skirts fell softly around her and came to various lengths, the longest being near her ankles, in crèmes, teals and silvery satins. She looked like a goddess, she was a goddess; for once not a captive to her element but its channel of power. Her dress moved like water as she moved. She was, as always, the living breath of the sea.

Michiru glanced back at her teal colored wings curiously, trying to take in all the different senses at once. She was beaming with happiness, and gasping air she had always came to hate and fear since birth. She tried to take a step forward and ended up against Haruka's strong frame again when she lost her balance.

"I'm afraid I'll never be able to walk..."

"Shh..." Haruka soothed, stroking her hair.

"It just takes practice; you're doing fine. Just wait till I get into the water, you'll be doing this very thing for me when I try to learn how to swim like you do." Michiru smiled and relaxed a little in her arms. The wind stirred softly through the trees, the sound made her sleepy. Uranus nuzzled her gently.

"I promise, when I get back, I'll teach you how to fly." Neptune's eyes opened again and searched Haruka's eyes before her vision blurred from tears again. They hugged tightly.

"Don't cry Michiru, I'll be okay..."

"I know..." She smiled softly pushing away her fears for her love's behalf and ran a hand through the wind swept dirty blonde hair. "I have faith in you. I know you can do it."

The warrior smiled and tilted her chin up for their last kiss, painfully sweet and gentle.

"There's just one thing though," Haruka began as the kiss broke and seriousness crossed her features. "I won't be able to concentrate on the fight if I know you're in danger... Can you promise me you won't leave the water until I return? The sea will protect you as it always has."

Though Michiru's curiously and want to stay on the surface and try out her new powers and freedom wished to remain she nodded and looked to her watery home again. It was no longer a prison since their bonding had given them a choice. "I will." And when Haruka1s eyes searched her own for any doubt, she confirmed it reassuringly.

"I promise, Haruka."

"Thank you." The winged form kissed her temple affectionately and looked up to the sky uneasily as if it beckoned for her. She knew it was time but refused to let herself say goodbye because she didn't want it to be goodbye. She knew she was going to return. Her voice instead came out with the words, "I love you."

Understanding, Michiru slowly slipped from Haruka's arms and slid waist deep into the water before it swirled around her form, removing the material for a fin again. The knights waiting stallion swooped down and picked up its mistress who grabbed the reins.

"I love you too, Haruka." And as the pair soared off into the sky and disappeared into thick clouds that seemed to swallow them whole, her voice whispered aloud.

"Be careful."

* * *


	12. The Battle Of The Elements

**Chapter 11**

The wind whipped around the sky warrior's armored frame as her winged stallion soared through the blood stained clouds, spiraling upward. They began to surround her much like the waves of Neptune once had; only unlike then, the air coursed through her being and energized her.

The bursts of air rushed past the wind entity's ears at a dangerous pace, as if like she was being sucked into the vortex of the sky. It formed words in her mind, battle cries. It ran across her skin like friendly caresses of old friends patting her on the back, helping her upward, pushing her onward.

The voices of the wind were old friends. It was lost companions and allies who had died in the name of blood soaked missions when she had being allowed to live on. It was an admired older brother telling his sister that he loved her for the final time on the last day she seen him alive. It was a cerulean haired woman who had wept surrounded by an adolescents embrace, unknowingly giving pathway to her fate. It was the heart wrenching whisper of an angst-ridden lover, telling her to return alive and to be careful. The feel of the kiss still lingered on Uranus's mouth, the taste of sweetness from tear dampened skin which had lovingly caressed her own before they had parted.

And this battle had more significance then she could have ever imagined, for now it was also for the soft spoken maiden who once had the glassy look of tears that weren't allowed to fall. It was for the now freed anguish of unspoken torture trapped within the sea maid's eyes that churned much like the waves their self, that had matched Uranus's own. It was for the soft smile that the warrior was given despite the throat chocking fear of the unknown and the ill-fated chance that her lover might not return. This fight was to make sure that, that smile remained on Neptune's face, forever; to return peace and order to a lost cause and spend immortality with her lover forever by her side as King and Queen.

She took in gulp fills of air as she breathed, a smirk crossed her features. It was a rare look of a martyr before their last mission, the anticipation of the fight of the long over due showdown, which began to make her heart race. She began to feel the darkness of her opponents energy mix through the wind and her senses sharpened considerably. Off gray eyes searched the horizon and endless sea of clouds while still she soared through the air.

The hair on the back of her neck rose on end; this was it.

Sword already drawn, she flexed her grip as if testing its presence once more. She murmured into her stallions ear words thickly coated with the growing urge to fight and the swell of anxiety to end this once and for all.

"Get ready."

Anyone else wouldn't have been able to hear it from the roaring wind but her stallion did and snorted in reply, thrusting its powerful wings once more, carrying them closer.

* * *

Suddenly, the air seemed to completely change and was stuck frozen, as is holding its breath. All the energy was focused in this condensed space and moment. Off to her right was a horrible crack of lightening that illuminated the sky and eerie dark gold mixed from purpley blood red clouds. She grabbed the reins and turned her horse in that direction just in time to feel thunder with sent a rumble through the heavens ripping the clouds apart.

Across the horizon at a distance away, the parting clouds revealed a mounted figure on a winged war horse as black as the darkness surrounding it, like dangerous velvet. The figures lips twisted into a sort of smirking smile.

"So you came. I was surprised you weren't dead."

Uranus just kept her eyes locked on the warlord and the shifting darkness radiating from him with a cool glare of hatred growing within her chest. Every fiber of her being trembled with energy as she wanted to rip him to shreds; she gripped her sword so tight, her knuckles turned white. But the churnings of the waves below the heavens warned her to think before she acted and so she kept her mind and senses on top of all else and not to make a mistake in brash actions. So she just smiled, as if she held a sort of secret. Her eyes lost most of their previous torment. Before, she was just as a loose thread to be plucked or left alone, life didn't matter. Now she was woven into something and knotted securely with such a bond, the man wondered if even he could break it apart.

"There's something different about you." He said slowly looking the determined strong winged form over intensely, taking in each feature, studying each crack or flaw, shield or defense. Like a calculator punching in the numbers to try and come up with a sum to get an estimation of what was to be expected. But his mental searching was blocked by some other form of magic he had not expected or sensed in their last encounter. It was like a netting of energy surrounding the woman warrior inside and out, a woven pure magic almost as strong as his dark. He smirked and licked his lips in a greedy fashion.

"Yes." He concluded again with a glimmer in his eye, the other being previously wounded and covered by a leather bandage from sight. If it had been uncovered there would be a crude faded line from where a blade sliced over the flesh. He touched it a bit while he wondered, as if it still hurt him. "And once I find out what it is, I'm going to enjoy taking it from you."

"Like Hell you will." Uranus coolly replied pleased to see her work had blinded the man long ago when she slashed at him with his own dagger. The next thing she said she tried hard to keep her mocking tone to a serious nonchalant, as if making conversation to a distant friend on the street. She intended to add insult to injury.

"What's the matter? Is something ailing you?"

The warlord dropped his hand from his wounded eye and took up his stallions reins instead, the beast in turn pawed at the air and snorted; foam dripped from its mouth and its eyes were red and glowing. Man and horse were filled to the core with evil energy, mere puppets for the evil. He acted like her words and mannerisms didn't affect him at all but he was enraged. It was going to harder then he thought to beat her, he hadn't expected the surviving heir of Neptune and the woman of the winds, to bind together. He hadn't expected the wench to live at all, either of them.

"Enough. Let's just get this started, shall we?" He spoke finally through the metal of his armors helmet as it clicked down into position. "Jousting style? Like two proper knights should?" He laughed a little. "Considering I am a powerful sorcerer and you a mere woman, its anything but proper isn't it? I was always one for role-playing myself."

Transparent gold light shimmered in her hand as Uranus formed a helmet slipping it on; armor appeared over her robes as well as old anger soared to mix with new. She let his comment roll of her skin like water. "It was always a game for you wasn't it? Some type of sick twisted game."

The dark knight laughed. "Half the fun is what will happen when I win. You were always such a hard prize to attain. I've been after you for a long time; how wonderful it will be to see you weak and helpless when I break you down beyond repair. I almost succeeded once."

She swung her sword in a loose circle as if loosening her arm. The blade sang an eerie song of war stories and anguished battle fields. It had known of blood and hate before. "Then come and get me."

"My pleasure, M'Lady." He mocked as he kicked the black horse into a gallop, its rider hunching low to balance and steady, his sword like a lance. Uranus smirked a little and readied her own sword before taking up the reins; with a signal the strong horse galloped and beat its thick wings. The wind picked up and pushed her forward, she concentrated on her target. With a horrible clang of metal their swords met their intensions. Uranus sword merely tapped its opponents shoulder but placed in such a way that it would jolt the rider enough that there was a chance they would be dismounted.

They got ready again, she shook out her sword arm bit getting used to the impact before they charged. She concentrated on her target again, wondering what he was truly up to. This was too simple; knightly tournaments just weren't his style. Surely he hadn't started all of this and planed it so meticulously to just end it with a simple duel as this. Himmelskoenig's ear pricked forward mid charge, the atmosphere changed as a growing mist creped in. One minute she saw her target the next they were in a sea of mist again.

"What a coward using trickery." She muttered angrily trying mentally commanding the wind to blow the fog back. Something within her whispered to try something different. The symbol on her forehead glowed a moment teal before returning to gold, and the fog began to churn and move like waves, collecting to crash and collect again till it no longer blocked her. The war lord had stopped to collect magic, using the fog as a distraction to gather power to him and catch her off guard. She tugged the reins in his direction and charged the horse forward to slash at him.

"Haruka, he's below you. That's a decoy!" A soft voice in her mind warned, but it was too late to stop. His image rippled puffing into smoke as it distorted and tore under the blade's edge.

"Scheisse!" Uranus swore angrily under her breath as she kept her stallion from rearing. She looked down just in time to see the real warlord below her and a gathering of energy that fed of the darkness spiraling in her direction. Using magic he created a mirror image of himself and somehow Neptune knew which one was real and had she not told her, by the time the knight would have known the blast would have taken her at full force.

The blast only really tapped her shoulder but Uranus faked a blow and fell back as if demounted from her horse. He turned around and followed its mistress, whose wings were tucked back, diving into the lower cloud clad sky. The war lord smirked pleased, sure that his magic was true and perhaps that he had won. But a battle cry behind him made him gasp as he turned to find the winged knight holding up her hand as a golden orb formed there, the air thick and distorting from the waves of her energy. In a strong voice she provoked her magic.

"Welterschütternd!"

The heir of the wind lowered her hand into a down ward thrust as the orb rumbled across the sky like horrendous thundering electric. Her enemy's war horse reared in fright as the blast took him by surprise. Uranus began to create a strong whirl wind to act as a shield readying for the next attack while the warlord collected himself and wondered silently how much longer this battle could be, and to what extent.

* * *

A figure contained within a shifting world of cerulean teals and sea greens stared anxiously at the surface of the sea above, watching and waiting, scarcely breathing. Her eyes were blurry from the threat of tears and the way her eyes were unfocused, lost in present memories which lingered so close to reality but like thorns they pricked her heart because she knew that was all that they were.

'She said she loved me for eternity. '

Neptune held a long soft feather in her hands touching it with her fingers. Haruka had given it to her from her own wing some time before the bonding on one carefree after noon. It had been one of the few times they had forgotten the threat of the evil. Neptune smiled in memory.

* * *

It was one of those rare moments when the sun light had managed to filter through the thick foliage of vanilla and weeping willow trees of Neptune's surface. It was pleasantly humid, instead of the moist chill that was the usual atmosphere. Two beings were enjoying the weather and the pleasant relief that the water gave. Well technically one; that which the element belonged and the other who was still uneasy around the waves in which she had previously intruded.

A winged figure was stretched out letting the sun on her wings, its mermaid companion surfaced elegantly from one of her appreciated dives to escape the heat and waved to the stubborn winged form that choose to sit on their rocky perch once again for that day.

"Oh come on my winged one," she began with a playful teasing in her voice. "The water's calm today. It's not going to hurt you; I promise."

Uranus's feathers pricked and ruffled in defense.

"I simply don't feel like getting wet. I know very well that the waters not going to hurt me. I'm stronger then that. I was only caught off guard that one time." Uranus scoffed.

"Ah, I see. Well you're going to bake in the heat. It's not often here that we have so much sunlight. It feels so much better in the water."

"I'm fine, thanks." Uranus was enjoying the warmth, even though the heat was making her begin to sweat. The sea maiden sighed a little and swam up into the crater like pool in the rocks surface since the tide was higher then usual that day. Laying her head in her arms, she watched as salty drips fell from her fingers like tears with no particular pattern. A young orange, golden feathered Gryphon circled in the air before landing beside the droplets attracted by the movement of the water.

Neptune had thought they were getting closer the other day but now the distance between them had been felt again, had she been wrong? Haruka changed like the wind and the moments leave just as fast. While she thought, her hand petted the young small cat like bird creature that made a purring type of clicking noise. Uranus scoffed at this.

"Spoiled parakeet." She muttered watching the scene behind half lowered eye lids for once relaxed, and slightly drowsy from the sun she missed so much in the mist of Neptune. The awkward distance of the moment gone, her mermaid companion smiled a little knowingly and turned her attention to the jealous winged form beside her. To Uranus's surprise she reached out a damp hand to run through the inside of her wing. Her hand felt refreshingly good against the heated feathers, despite herself Haruka smiled pleasantly and her wing shuddered. As if caught she blushed and acted like Neptune was doing something completely barbaric; after all she was petting her.

"Pray, Mermaiden, what are you doing?" Uranus asked trying to act annoyed but Neptune just smiled and scratched the outer edges of her wings which distracted her from sounding anything but truthful; and truthfully, it felt good. Ignoring the question Neptune just continued to pet her gorgeous wings, taking advantage of the unusualness of the day.

"I saw you before dawn; you flew as if you were going to leave but you returned. You're still here."

Uranus's eyes softened a bit but she tried not to let it show as much.

"I wasn't leaving for good. Yet." She added the end as a second thought; she didn't want her to think she was going to stay and then break her heart. "I have to keep my wings from getting stiff and being in one position for long doesn't help."

"I'm glad you're still here." Neptune admitted and moved closer resting her head on the Knight's lap feeling her leg muscles tense from the new way in which she was touched, as of late pleasantly gentle. Uranus found her self running her fingers gingerly through the sea maiden's teal waves and curls. Her hair was surprisingly soft despite years of salt water and rare days of bleaching sun, as this day. In turn, the mermaid found her own hand which dropped from the dark hued wings to move along tanned skin muscle toned calves down to the toes; admiringly. The venerable knight yelped snatching her legs away like as if she were bit and looking to her with mixed expressions.

"I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong? It's just that I've always wondered what it was like to have what you do. You're a gorgeous creature."

Uranus looked to her and struggled for composure again but instead found her self wanting to sooth the maiden's concern back into placid. How could she make her understand?

"My legs are very sensitive to touch," She finally blurted out assuming that the mermaid would understand the terms she used. "I'm... ah. ticklish."

"Ticklish?" The maiden mocked testing the word on her tongue as if it were foreign.

"Oh I think I know what you mean..." She reached up and gave the already startled knight a quick but direct kiss, the urgency of results from her experiment and the innocence of her manner shinned in the mermaid's eyes and she pretended not to notice her companion turn three shades of red as she blushed fiercely.

"Ticklish! ?"

"Um. err. No, that's something else." Haruka stammered in defense as she heard her laugh and smiled then thinking she should more often.

On impulse she slid halfway into the salt watery pool and picked up the mermaid in her arms sitting her onto her lap. The water made her lighter then she was and to Uranus it was nothing at all to do so. It was Neptune's turn to blush then but as if it was natural to do so she wrapped her arms around her neck and tucked her face into the nook between Uranus's neck and shoulder.

"I'm really going to miss you."

Uranus couldn't really understand the love she felt from her and admittedly, that she felt for her. Love had never been in play before in her life till now. There was a tugging feeling in her heart. The moment was paused and both were quiet, the gentle clapping of the waves the only sound until Neptune felt Uranus's arm shift and her wings shutter a little. She looked up surprised to see a beautifully long and soft looking blue hued feather like the sky, handed to her.

"What's this for?" She asked awed holding it gingerly in her hands, running her finger along the soft airy edge.

"It's for you. To remember me by" The next words were spoken so softly that she could barely hear them but she did. "You have been so kind to me; it's the least I could do."

"But won't it get ruined? The water will." Haruka ran her hand along the length of it and blessed it with magic so it would not loose its beauty or form in the water. It glowed golden for a moment before returning back to before.

"Dip it in and see."

Neptune hesitated a moment before doing what she said, she was relieved to see the water roll off in droplets. She hugged her happily feeling like she acquired a wonderful, precious gift. After a moment she felt the hug return with growing strength.

"Thank you; I don't know what to say. This was so nice of you to do." She said sincerely.

"It was nothing... I loose feathers like that almost every day. I don't mind, really."

Neptune took one of the white small calm shells from a bracelet Uranus never noticed before and handed it to her in turn.

"For you…now I have a part of you to remember, as you have of me. The sea will always be with you now"

Little did she know just how much it could be in the future as she said those words.

Uranus smiled after a moment too touched to be anything but humbled and tucked the shell into the small compartment in her belt. She deiced later to try and string it onto a piece of cord somehow to wear it around her neck, she was constantly exploring the island and thought she found some twine from a previous source anyway.

"Now then", the knight began returning the moment back to the previous, "It's hard for me to believe you are that naïve. You knew exactly what you were doing didn't you?

Neptune smiled knowingly and shrugged a little.

"I suppose I know some things more then others."

Almost as curiously as Neptune petted her wings, Uranus touched her hand to the Mermaid's fin. Her hand pulled back a second later surprised; intrigue crossed her features more then anything. The maiden noticing her mistake, gave her a playful warning.

"Be careful, I'm more dangerous then I look." She reached out for her hand to check on the wound from her delicate yet dangerous scales. The knight smirked batting the offer away which strove to mend even the tiniest of wounds, including the one she just received.

It was hard to believe such a gentle creature being any type threat. But she figured even the tamest creatures had defense mechanisms. Neptune smiled a little at her stubbornness and placed her hand back on her lower half again.

"If your brush back against the scales, they cut you." She slid her hand along her tail in a downward motion. "But if you move with them, then it's fine."

Uranus smiled letting her teach her, even though she had figured it out. As soon as the error happened she knew exactly the right way. It was as if something clicked within her.

"I know." The knight admitted looking to her. There was something in her eyes that made Neptune's heart quicken but in an instant it was gone. Like as gentle and refreshing as a tame wind; and also as quick and distant as a passing breeze.

"I wish this day could never end."

* * *

Michiru smiled in memory,running the tip of Haruka's feather across her cheek. Happiness filled her heart as she remembered the time spent with her gentle eyed warrior. Then, as the sky above roared from thunder again, reality reminded her of the danger and present predicament. Her tears of happiness were frozen by the tears of sorrow. Her heart was caught in-between both emotions. The feeling of unknowing froze their fall against her cheek. It was if she was numb, torn inside and somewhere in between.

She lay down against the cool sand and closed her eyes concentrating on the fight. The bonding had allowed her a connection to the winged knight and the sky which she could tell from its roaring winds, was still deep in battle.

Her hand dug into the sand as her jaw clenched.

"Haruka. I wish I could help you fight! I am worthless here; I want to be with you by your side."

Her loves promise echoed faintly in her memory to remain under water as it was safer and Haruka must have also known she would have tried to help and wouldn't have been able to concentrate on the fight knowing Michiru could be in danger.

"I will wait for you then. I have faith in you. Haruka, I love you."

The finned maiden curled herself into a ball; eyes closed and listened to the elements around her.

How much longer?

* * *

Hours had past and the fight had lingered on, broke apart, and then went strong again. Both fighters of this two person war were sore and tired, in some cases wounded but none showed their fatigue, honor and pride being too much for either of them. During a thrust of her sword, Uranus's blade caught something around the war lord's neck and it lost slack as she brought her sword back. It snapped against her blade with a clean metal like noise and was flung a few feet away, a glowing orb dangled on it.

It was a type of necklace, an amulet, which had been concealed by the folds of the war lord's tunic and armor but throughout the fight the movement caused it to be pushed up and dangled dangerously free. Uranus didn't realize it then but things clicked together as she saw it snap, when seconds in the fight had slacked, the warlord had risked the time to protect the necklace. She had never given him the full chance to so, and his hand dropped for defense reasons.

He gave one look to her to see if she paid it any attention but his urgency kept him from acting calm, he dove for it but she was too fast. In a gust of wind and she had rolled and snatched it up her wings carrying her a few feet in the air out of his reach while she expected it. Her eyes were cool and calculated, chilling, as she looked down to him her mouth set in a slight frown. He glared up at her fuming with anger but concealed it in all but a horribly red aura. She had figured out what it must have been even before his urgency for the item provided the conclusions.

"You were using their life energy. Their souls, their powers!" She trembled, chilled to the very core. "You..Bastard!!"

Suddenly she snapped, her raw anger over decades, all the unneeded blood, tears and pain swelled in her and she began to attack him with a relentless amount of blows, some magic and some with her blade. With his source of power weakened considerably, he could just block; a grimaced was set on his now graying form.

A calm voice in Haruka's mind brought her back to reason and she touched the ground again and took a few steps back from the man holding his possession in her hands. Neptune was right, that wouldn't solve anything, what she was about to do would hurt him a lot worse then any wound could.

With a satisfying 'crunch' she broke the orb in her hand, the shards of glass falling delicately through her fingers, glittering against the sandy wind blown terrain like newly fallen blood. The trapped light escaped and swirled around her freely; voices filled her mind and made her breath catch in her chest as she closed her eyes painfully. Those voices had been so new in her mind even though they had been gone so long. The light healed her before returning back to its master, cutting into him from the inside out; breaking down his magic till he was nothing but a mere man. She watched, his screaming something horrible and wonderful at the same time. She could no look away.

All the people though decades he had killed for his cause, all the people he manipulated and used, were now free. Like a leech he sucked off their life energy all this time to increase and build upon his power. Now he was just a man, a wicked man with a doomed soul.

She was almost smiling as she walked up upon him and threw the now worthless, rusted chain at his feet and he lay on the ground, his life on a delicate balance.

"Their souls are free now, free from you. All this time...I'd kill you now if you didn't deserve the torture that holding onto life brings you."

Truthfully, she was surprised he was still alive, taking away the energy which consumed him should have killed him; that meant there was another jewel somewhere on him. She used this time to search for it out of the corner of her eye while she talked.

"You're not such a powerful lord now are you? No, you were nothing but a coward."

The man smirked a little grimly and wiped a small stream of trickling blood away from his nose with the back of his hand, he met her eyes. For once she didn't see only the evil there, or his masking anger. She saw pain, a soul gone mad from deep pain and a natural wretchedness which like a seedling, just needed one thing to cause it to germinate and grow within him.

"Your mother was just like you; a Free, independent, beautiful spirit, but untamed. She promised her heart to me. She promised the throne to me! I had been a solider for the Uranian army then, fighting for her damned kingdom. And when I returned, she had been married. She promised me the heir of Uranus, she promised me her children…!"

Seeing Haruka pale slightly, he continued like a murderer on their death bed.

"It had been the night she borne you."

His voice lingered as if keeping some sort of secret. Uranus felt her blood turn to ice as he said this; she snatched his sword from its sheath and looked toward the jewel at the end on the bottom of the hilt. It glowed fiercely with dark blue swirling power, flecked with gold; she felt slightly sick. The man continued his story, lost in his own confessions and the state of a man on lingering on death. He didn't make an attempt to keep her from taking the sword either; he was lost in the past.

"It was easy enough to get in. When she suddenly fell ill, your father was too preoccupied with her sickness to properly focus his attention on the kingdom. He needed help, and so hired me unknowingly. The very cause for his dear wife's death, she was pregnant of course, the effort of labor took all she had though." Uranus listened spell bound, she could do nothing but that, all with a mask on her face. "They blamed her death on you, but if I hadn't had made her sick she wouldn't have died. If your father knew her as well as me he would have known her spirit was too strong for something as child labor to kill her. He laughed coughing blood. "She should have married me..."

When Uranus found her voice again it was surprising calm and calculated, she was beyond anger or spite. She was relieved of all the pain and guilt of being the cause of her mother's death. And she just wanted this nightmare to be over, she knew he wanted her to lash out at him but she wasn't going to do that. She was going to torture his soul by giving him a seemingly easy death.

"With you will end these immortal wars. With your death, their spirits will be set at peace at last. I will live happily and build up this kingdom to its glory again, as King, and your name will never be spoken with fear again. No, never uttered again."

With that, Haruka smashed the bottom of the hilt against a rock, shattering the glass as light poured out; clearing the gloom and the evil with it. It rushed past Haruka as a warm, strong, yet gentle wind; which was scented like morning glories, and filled Haruka's soul with reassurance. It had been the flower of Uranus, long before she was borne.

The Queen of Uranus's spirit which was so new and odd to her daughter swept up and joined the wind above them. The roaring of the winds calmed considerably. The heir of Uranus looked down as the body of her enemy faded, as did all of his possessions. She uttered a prayer in Uranian for all that had been wronged by him, and walked away slowly across the terrain. The hope of her future, burned now within her.

Finally her soul was truly able to love freely.


	13. Lost is now foundA fulfilled Promise

**Chapter 12**

A lone figure swooped down from the realm of the sky. Clouds seemed to part a pathway, as if by command. With a glance down at the water below, a mixture of both worlds reflected back to her. One of the worlds, below the water's surface, and the other in the sky above.

The sea sparkled from beams of sunlight, like polished emeralds, flecking specks of gold and amber in places as it shifted under the current of the wind. In the early morning light the ocean was once a moonlighted gray, with sliver gleaming sea foam and white icy caps but now with the sunlight it was coming alive; most like the shifting of a kaleidoscope.

Smiling, Uranus reached under the first few undone laces of her tunic's undershirt and took from within a pendant on a worn piece of cord. She held this in her hand as she flew down closer to the surface. She could see the blurry effect that the weeping willows and crème flower blossoms of the trees gave. The scent of the vanilla was as thick as honey and felt like home to her senses. The creeping feeling of reassurance to her was so sudden that her heart quickened, but she thought it also had something to do with the final awaited meeting she knew was about to take place.

With a small 'snap' the cord gave under the quick tugging motion of her hand and her wings stretched opening more to allow the wind to collect under them. She hovered up into the air with a rushing motion and kissed the object she had been holding once for luck before pitching it down into the swirling appearance of the surface.

Like a hawk she watched the clam shell Neptune gave her get smaller and further away as it fell and hit the water; disappearing under the surface with a 'plop' and scattering droplets of water that shown like prisms and cast ripples. This was her way of calling the mermaid to the surface and now she had to wait, letting the wind tug at her as it pleased till she had some sort of a sign.

* * *

A white pearly object, still warm from touch, twirled slowly through the water causing small bubbles to rise in its wake. It was caught up in current and tumbled and turned over till finally left to stop and hit the bottom. One side lowered to the sand before the other slowly touched and settled.

Stirring from dolphin's excited chatter and beams of warmth from sunlight, a figure emerged from the shadow in the current of the waves. Like the ocean its self, the finned creature with gleaming scales swam over and reached out with an unbelieving hand; picking up the small trinket.

Turning it over in her hand, Neptune's eyes read and re-read the words scrolled on the inside of the shell she had just lifted. They were written in beautiful yet simple calligraphy and in Uranian.

'Ich habe zurück gekommt... Ich lebe.'

Tears thick and hot ran down her cheeks before mixing with the salty water. Holding the small shell against her chest Michiru swam up and reached for the surface, breaking the surf with a gasp. She searched the sky with hopeful eyes before diving again, jumping through the water to a destination. Through the water she could see the shadow of a wing span moments later on the coral below her and turned onto her back while she swam. Haruka met her eyes only feet above and reached out a hand, her fingertips pushed through the water to trail along Michiru's cheek and face. She motioned with her eyes to the large craterous rock coming up before them telling her to go and met her there. Neptune nodded holding Uranus's hand to her face a moment before dipping backwards and with her flick of her tail swam under the waves and turned within the water righting herself. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt tears swell in her eyes, how long had she been waiting, breathless for this moment? She never wanted anything as much as those words, as much as that fulfilled promise. Finally, they could be together without fear.

Neptune neared the rock and surfaced, meeting Uranus's eyes for a long moment. The scene settled around them and the wind blew in whispers, love sonnets and secrets. Uranus blushed as if they were words she didn't want Michiru to hear just yet. She extended her hand to the sea maiden offering to give her help but when she took her hand, there was something that glimmered within the aqua eyes. A soft glow admitted as they touched and the symbols on their foreheads glowed from the power. Neptune stood on her own the water dripping off her now human body to form rich material in folds, and she smiled to her love and on her own climbed the distance of the rock between them. Haruka wrapped her arms around her, stepping forward to meet her halfway. For a while they just held each other, reassuring the other that they were alright. Uranus's voice tested the air quietly as she spoke into the soft curls of her lover's teal hair.

"It is done. Michiru, it's all over now." She hugged her closer and said it again as if to take away any doubt, her voice seemed so tired and exhausted suddenly. As if she was to join the wind and let herself be blown away and be taken with it now that her quest was done. "It's all over."

"I know my love. Come and sit with me. Shh.." Michiru whispered and slid down with her to sit, Haruka buried her face in her hair and neck and wept quietly and efficiently. Michiru's own tears rolled down her face and joined her own as she held her, stroking her dirty blonde hair.

"You were so brave. Your brother would have been so proud of you...My winged champion."

* * *

After sometime Michiru loosened her arms a bit letting Haruka sit up, startled because her strong frame had begun to shudder. She realized she was laughing.

"It's finally over."

And this time, Haruka didn't question it. She scooped Michiru into her arms and kissed her, lovingly.


	14. Finale

**Finale**

Night had fallen, and the two lay together on that same flat rock as before watching the stars with contentment that only soul mates knew. With hands tangled in hair and limbs intertwined.

"You're still as naive as ever." The knight remarked fondly stroking her hair and chuckling when she met Michiru's gaze with her own smug look. "It's going to be fun teaching you about new things."

"Oh is that so?" Michiru asked with a slight grin forming. "And what type of things might those be. Sir Knight?"

Haruka winked to her with a glint in her eyes. "You'll see."

The air grew thick with expectation and promise as she then grew serious, a soft blush crossing her features. "But first there's something I need to know."

Michiru searched her features curiously, scarcely breathing, could it be? She ran her fingertips along her cheek, coaxing what ever it was she had to say, to be said. "Yes?"

The knight slid out of her loose embrace and got up from laying, her bangs obscuring her eyes for a moment before she slid into a sitting position. Only, this was different and as Michiru noticed this, she gasped softly.

Haruka was on one knee.

The winged entity took the maidens left hand in her own slipping on her ring finger a gold wedding band, the same band intended for the first couple of the wind and sea.

"Kaioh Michiru," Haruka began emotion cracking her voice and a light in her eyes the maiden had never seen before as they met and locked gaze. "Will you do me the unworthy honor of becoming my wife, and ruling with me as my Queen?"

Michiru smiled tears steaming down her face and leaned up hugged Haruka tightly and pulling her back down, her face against her neck and shoulder.

"Of course I will!"

The knight scooped up her fiancé in a tight embrace and twirled her happily, making her skirt spin in rich teal folds. They kissed honestly, and sweetly; their future together burning brightly within their hearts.

* * *

**L a F i n**

****

* * *

****

**Author's Notes:**

(Never fear, Neptunestears sees a sequel in the near future

Editing this story has been as fulfilling as writing it.. it is quite a gem and I am so pleased to write it. A new wind is blowing through Neptune, pollinating the trees, so I think I need to write the sequel for its time, I want to thank Haruka Silverfrost, as she likes to be known. Without her friendship, I would have never believed in my self or love to begin with. I wouldn't be able to embrace this new wind now.

Thank you all, cheers, Sault, au revior!

Neptunestears -04 )

* * *


End file.
